Written question asked by Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative) on Tuesday, 17 March 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 March 2015. It was answered by David Lidington (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 March 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

European Parliament

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the cost of the European Parliament having a base in both Strasbourg and Brussels.

Answer: The EU Court of Auditors estimates that a move to a “single seat” for the European Parliament would save €113 million a year, while the European Parliament’s own “Single Seat” campaign estimates the saving at about €180 million a year, and a reduction of the EP’s carbon footprint by 40%. The UK welcomes the support from within the European Parliament for the move to a single seat and hopes that Members of the European Parliament push this issue up the political agenda. The UK’s position is well known: we are in favour of a single seat. The current arrangements are expensive, impractical and indefensible on environmental grounds. Moving to a single seat would require Treaty change and the agreement of all Member States.

Secondary information