My MEP Robert Sturdy has a letter in The Times today stating it is time to ditch the absurd "travelling circus" to Strasbourg following the partial collapse of its ceiling.
He says:
Surely this is the perfect time to stop throwing away good money after bad. I am referring to the partial collapse of the European Parliament’s ceiling in Strasbourg, which proves that it is a flawed and costly white 
elephant.
MEPs will now have to meet in Brussels next month instead of their Strasbourg parliamentary building as planned, so that essential repairs can be carried out. And I suggest we keep it that way, instead of continuing with a farcical and costly “travelling circus”, forcing 735 MEPs and staff to leave their offices and meet up hundreds of miles away — just to appease French protocol. This is costing the EP an estimated £160 million each year, as well as being environmentally unjustifiable.
The majority of cross-party MEPs believe it is time to end Strasbourg meetings. I call upon Gordon Brown within the Council of Ministers of 27 member states to urge all of them to bring this to an end.
Hear, hear!
Why not give us all the chance to vote on the whole of the EU instead ? There’d be a novel idea.
Hope you had a nice break, Ellee.
The AFP News Agency has contacted Robert’s Brussels office to follow this up.
He issued the following statement to them:
“I am sure a number of MEPs – myself included – will take the opportunity presented on Monday to demand national governments – and particularly Nicolas Sarkozy – finally take action to end this monthly farce; it is bad for taxpayers and the environment, and undermines the credibility of the European Parliament.
“Most MEPs and over a million people have indicated the parliament should have just one seat. If the Parliament is able to move one session to Brussels, we will be asking why it is not able to move them all.”
Agreed It is utterly stupid that the parliament has two locations.
Why bother with the EU at all? What purposae does it serve? Can someone tell me?
This notice has just been issued about the Strasbourg building saying that the sitting due to be held there at the end of September will be held in Brussels too. This is what it says:
Due to the partial collapse of the suspended ceiling in the Hemicycle in Strasbourg on 7 August 2008 and the repair and safety works to the Hemicycle that have followed, as well as the parallel verification works and checks of all suspended ceilings (in meeting rooms, corridors, restaurants, entrances etc), it is currently not possible – despite all efforts made by Parliament’s services, with the assistance of the French authorities – to reach a position which would allow Parliament to counteract fully the force majeure and to meet safely in its seat in Strasbourg.
Under these circumstances and taking into account the uncertainty regarding the completion of the works and procedures currently under way, it has become difficult to find a solution, be it a provisional one, to the potential failure to meet the requirements set by the French Office responsible for the safety of buildings in its pending reports and, in particular, in view of the pressing calendar of the September II session.
After having informed the French authorities and the French Presidency of the Council, the President considers it necessary, on the basis of my recommendation and after having informed the Bureau and the Conference of Presidents, to move Parliament’s activities during the September II session (from 22 to 25 September 2008) to Brussels for the reasons of safety and having established the continued existence of a force majeure.
Under these exceptional circumstances, the same measures as for the transfer of the September I session will be applied for the period of 22 to 25 September 2008.