Elspeth Attwooll MEP Backs One Seat Campaign

12.00.00am GMT Tue 26th Feb 2008

On the day that a petition signed by over 1.2million people is examined by the European Parliament's Petitions Committee, Scottish MEP Elspeth Attwooll has repeated her backing for the campaign to have 'One Seat' for the European Parliament.

Elspeth said:

"Strasbourg is a beautiful city with a special place in the history of the EU, but the monthly trek has become an unnecessary inconvenience to Parliamentary business.

It just doesn't make sense, in terms of cost to the taxpayer and environmental impact, especially at a time when the Parliament has backed ambitious targets to cut carbon emissions.

The petition backs up the sentiments of many MEPs. It is now up to national governments to do something about it".

Note:

1. Cecilia Mallstrom, a former Liberal MEP from Sweden, is behind the petition to create a single seat for the European Parliament.

2. The petition could lead to a plenary debate in the coming weeks. It can be signed at www.oneseat.eu.

3. A recent poll by the Campaign for Parliament Reform showed that an overwhelming number of MEPs were in favour of one seat for the European Parliament, most of whom wanted for that seat to be Brussels.

4. Most MEPs also believe that the Parliament should be able to decide its own location.