By Martin Banks - 21st November 2011
We're right to ask whether MEPs should be in the business of running a film contest
Martin Callanan
MEPs have questioned the cost and 'usefulness' of parliament's annual Lux prize for film-making, which was recently awarded.
The annual prize has come under fresh attack for similar reasons which led MEPs to decide in the summer to scrap the annual award given by parliament to journalists.
That prize was criticised by many MEPs as being a waste of money with some members also calling into question the independence of such an award.
Some deputies are now saying that both awards are too costly to run particularly at a time of severe austerity measures in many member states.
They include British deputy Martin Callanan who last week tabled a series of questions during parliament's monthly plenary in Strasbourg about the Lux prize.
Callanan who leads the UK Tories in parliament said he wants to know "just how much taxpayers' money has been spent" on this year's Lux prize contest in which nominated films are required to "celebrate the universal reach of European values".
The competition is thought to have budgeted to cost €300,000 this year, including trips for parties of officials to various film festivals such as Cannes and Venice to promote the prize.
However it is thought that few MEPs bother to watch any of the films.
In his questions Callanan said he wants more information about how the money is spent.
In particular he wants to know the cost of a temporary cinema built in the Brussels parliament for MEPs to watch the three shortlisted films, plus a string of promotional display stands set up at key points around the complex of buildings in an attempt to persuade the politicians to vote.
In a letter to parliament's president Jerzy Buzek, Callanan is also asking for the costs of major plans to expand the competition dramatically in coming years with events throughout Europe.
The ECR member said, "The nominated films may well be very praiseworthy, but I think we're right to ask whether MEPs should be in the business of running a film contest when budgets all over the world are being cut and all our effort and attention should be on what to do with broken Europe."
"I understand when the contest was first launched only a handful of MEPs actually watched the films - so they fixed that by allowing them to vote without having seen them.
"It is not the role of the parliament to sit in judgement on cultural creativity. It is absurd to have an "EP Oscar" or "Brussels BAFTA".
