MEP cuts face strong opposition

A proposal to halve Irish representation in the European Parliament from 15 to eight, and to make similarly deep cuts for other small states to accommodate acceding countries, faced strong opposition in the treaty-changing Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC) yesterday.

The cuts are based on a formula suggested by the parliament in an attempt by MEPs from the larger member-states to redress what they see as an unfair imbalance in representation against them. Currently each German MEP represents some 829,000 electors while his Irish counterpart represents only 249,000.

At present the parliament has 626 members, and the Amsterdam Treaty provides for a ceiling of 700 after enlargement. Yet on the basis of the current system of seat allocation, the accession of 13 new states would swell the parliament's ranks to 963.

With the accession of only a few countries the ceiling will be reached, and existing memberstates will be forced to take a reduction in their share. Poland alone is likely to have some 46 seats for its population of 38 million, and Turkey up to 89 for 64 million, depending on the formula used.

Ireland is likely to back an approach which reduces its representation eventually to 11. But the same formula would cut German representation from 99 to 71, while the parliament's methodology, which cuts the minimum number of seats allocated to the smallest member-states to four from six, only reduces Germany to 92 seats.

Diplomats say the issue is likely to be resolved only at the end of the IGC in December.

The earliest date expected for some enlargement is 2004, Should the election of parliament that year be based on a presumption that by 2009 a full enlargement of 13, including Turkey, will have taken place.