The EU is forced to tighten its belt after Court rejects pay rise for EU officials

Anna Sonny, 22 November 2013

The EU is finally taking a dose of its own medicine after the European Court of Justice rejected the Commission’s proposal to increase the salaries of EU civil servants. In 2011, in the midst of a Europe-wide recession, the Commission proposed a 1.7% pay rise for its staff, despite the draconian cutbacks that it was imposing across the continent. National governments, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands went to the highest EU court to overturn the increase.

If the increase had been approved by the Court, it would have meant thousands of euros in backpay for EU staff. One EU civil servant was reported as saying: ‘There are an awful lot of very disappointed officials today. I know a lot of people who banked on the extra cash for their holiday plans.’ Although EU staff will sadly have to do without any Christmas bonuses this year, the rest of Europe will be celebrating the huge amount of money saved and the  collapse in double standards for the EU, which must now practise what it preaches in at least one area of its policy.

This week MEPs signed off an agreement on the first budget cut in the EU’s history. If the bloc is looking for other areas in which it could scale back on costs, it could start with its mammoth administration bill (which will not be cut in this budget) and reconsider holding its monthly Parliament sessions in Strasbourg. MEPs have already voted 483 votes to 141 in favour of a treaty change that would end the trek. The French city, located on the German border, symbolised European reconciliation after World War 2. But the move involves transporting 766 MEPs and more than 3,000 members of staff, along with lorries full of documents and equipment to the French city every month. The building is used for 42 days out of the year and remains heated and staffed while it is empty.

Treaty changes, however, can only be made unanimously through the Council of the European Union, which is made up of the 28 European heads of government. Although the move is estimated to cost around 180 million euros and 19 tonnes of carbon emissions, any treaty change is likely to be blocked by France as the Strasbourg move boosts business for the French city.

Hopefully the MEPs’ agreement to cut the budget and possibly end the unnecessary and environmentally-damaging practice of moving to Strasbourg every month means that the EU is finally starting to pay some attention to the plank in its own eye. It cannot expect to be taken seriously on its economic and environmental policy until it does.