Est. 2min 28-05-2008 (updated: 28-05-2012 ) Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Français | DeutschPrint Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Political groups with less than 30 members could be outlawed after the 2009 European elections under a proposed review of the Assembly’s internal working rules to be voted upon in July. The Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs committee yesterday (27 May) rejected, by a slim one-vote majority, a proposal to raise the threshold for the creation of a political group, which in effect would ban two of the current parties from Parliament after the next election. The issue will now be debated and put to vote by the full Parliament during the July plenary session. Any changes adopted would come into effect after the 2009 European elections. Out of the 29 committee members, 15 voted ‘no’ while only 14 favoured the amendment, falling one vote short of the required absolute majority. The two dominant parties, the centre-right EPP-ED and the Socialists, who were largely in favour of the amendment to make the Parliament more efficient, did not manage to close their ranks and bring all 16 MEPs behind the initiative. This provides the smaller parties, notably INDEM (the European United and Nordic Green Left) and the UEN (Union for Europe of the Nations), whose survival will be seriously challenged if the new initiative comes into being, with breathing space until the plenary votes on the issue in July. Read more with Euractiv EU lobbying transparency endgame expected by 2010As the European Commission prepares to unveil its voluntary lobbyists register next month, Brussels insiders say no meaningful decisions are to be expected before the next Commission is appointed in autumn 2009. Subscribe now to our newsletter EU Elections Decoded Email Address * Politics Newsletters Positions British Socialist MEP and PES spokesman on constitutional affairs Richard Corbett, who introduced the amendment, explained that his proposal aims to avoid excessive fragmentation of the Parliament, which was "deeply divided into many small groups and unable to work effectively". "This proposal strikes the right balance. It would protect the interests of small political parties with a genuine European following and maintain the political diversity of debate in the Parliament, but would prevent single politicians from being given undue support from the public purse," he pointed out. Corbett added that the proposed raising of the threshold to 4% was still lower than the average across national parliaments in Europe, saying his group will seek to reinstate this proposal by tabling an amendment when this report is voted on in plenary. Spanish EPP-ED MEP Íñigo Méndez de Vigo agreed, on behalf of his group, that the reform was needed, saying "we can guarantee pluralism and at the same time have political decisions which are consistent". All other parties rejected the proposal, arguing that efficiency could not be given preference over diversity. British ALDE spokesman on constitutional affairs Andrew Duff said small groups are important, adding that approving the proposed change of threshold "would mean forcing MEPs inside one or the other big group" without "contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Parliament". "Whatever one's views about their politics, it cannot be argued that these small groups do not represent a strand of European public opinion. We live in a diverse Europe, and if the European Parliament is to be the legitimate forum for post-national democracy, all sorts of minority opinions have to be given effective, if proportionate, representation," Duff pointed out. Austrian Green MEP Johannes Voggenhuber also criticised the proposal as it would represent "a further limitation to smaller groups," suggesting that an "agreement on changing rules should always be broad". Danish member of INDEM (the Independence/Democracy group) Hanne Dahl said: "Mr. Corbett's proposal goes against democracy and representation of minorities in the European Parliament. It also goes toward a domination of the two biggest political groups, PPE-ED and PSE, which have already a lot of power to determine how the House is run and to influence legislation." BackgroundAt present, a political group can be formed by a minimum of 20 Members (or 2.5% of all MEPs), who also represent at least one fifth of the EU member states (for the moment, six countries). British Socialist MEP Richard Corbett proposed an amendment to Parliament's rules of procedure to raise the threshold to 30 MEPs (4% of total membership), representing at least one quarter of the member states (seven countries). Further ReadingEuropean Union Parliament:Constitutional Affairs Committee votes to leave political group threshold unchanged(27 May 2008) Parliament:Amendment introduced by Richard Corbett(27 May 2008) Political Groups PSE:Rules on political groups will preserve diversity of parliamentary debate ALDE:Small political groups must not be banned from European Parliament INDEM:In the European Parliament Minority parties are at risk
