Euro-MPs face fines for skipping Barroso address

(STRASBOURG) - Periodically slammed for poor attendance at parliament sittings, Euro-MPs are facing fines should they fail to show up for Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso's first-ever "State of the Union" address Tuesday.

Jerzy Buzek, president of the assembly, said the idea of a sanction, which is already riling some of the 736 Euro-MPs, was suggested by leaders of the parliament's political groups.

"They demanded a particularly high attendance during this unprecedented debate," Buzek said.

Though details of the fine are still to be released, MEPs will be roll-called three times during the Tuesday morning speech and absentees fined part of their daily allowance of 298 euros (384 dollars).

MEPs already face financial penalties for failing too often to turn up for votes, but Tuesday's fine would be the first for skipping a speech and is already causing a rumpus.

"We were elected freely and can decide ourselves what our priorities are," said German Conservative Bernd Posselt. "I was going to attend the debate but if there's an electronic check I will not go."

British Liberal MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford dubbed it "a farce".

"If this isn't scrapped people will just say 'They're only there because they were paid to listen to Barroso'"

"It's a public relations error!"

The idea of an EU State of the Union address was raised in the Lisbon Treaty, which when into force in December 2009.