[pp.int.general] European Parliament makes forming group more difficult

[Anton Tamminen]

Source: YLE (Finnish public media)
Original text of probably little use to you in Finnish 
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/24h/id95809.html

The EUP has today voted for a proposition for greater requirements on 
parliamentary groups. Requirements were raised to 25 MEPs from 7 countries.

Freely translated abstract of the article:

"The two largest factions in the European Parliament - the socialists 
and conservatives - have decided to complicate the organizing of small 
political groups."

"With a two-thirds' majority on wednesday, they voted that from now on, 
forming a group will require 25 representatives from 7 member countries. 
Until now, the requirement was 20 representatives from 5 member countries."

"The decision implies among other things that in the next parliament, 
many far-right and euroskeptic representatives will be outside of 
political groups, and can thus never be elected into parliamentary 
committees. They will also not receive the same funding as others."

"The proposition presented by the socialists and conservatives was 
opposed by all other groups, from liberals to greens."

Finnish Consitutional Law Committee vice chairman Anneli Jäätteenmäki: 
"The Conservatives' fear of new groups forming was behind this 
amendment. That is why they wanted to raise the bar. This restriction is 
harder than in any national parliament. Not a very democratic decision 
in a EU that embraces diversity." "Fringe groups will receive more 
support because of attempts to limit their influence. Besides, at least 
to this day, the small groups have not been an obstacle for efficiency. 
In this matter, the large groups should take a look in the mirror."



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Anton Tamminen
International Secretary, Member of the Board
Piraattipuolue - The Pirate Party, Finland
http://www.piraattipuolue.fi