Conservatives back call to delete Thursday sittings in Strasbourg
Posted, July 11, 2007 @ 16:00
Strasbourg, July 11th 2007 -- Conservative MEPs, who have long campaigned to end the farcical monthly trips to Strasbourg, are today supporting an amendment to the 2008 parliamentary calendar to delete Thursday sittings there.
Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament Timothy Kirkhope MEP said:
"I and my British Conservative colleagues believe that the European Parliament should have one permanent seat - in Brussels. We have campaigned for many years to end the two-seat farce and the millions of pounds this costs the British taxpayer. We are also seriously concerned at the environmental impact of two seats in terms of carbon emissions from thousands of plane, train and car journeys there every month.
"Our support for a deletion of Thursday sittings is not in any way an alternative to the principled position we hold, which is to end Strasbourg sessions, but recognition of the fact that the Treaties currently stipulate that 12 sessions must be held in Strasbourg."