Size of Euro-Parliament to shrink after Brexit
Photo © European Union 2017 - source EP
(STRASBOURG) - The European Parliament should shrink from 751 to 705 MEPs when the UK leaves the EU, whilst leaving room for possible new countries joining in the future, following a vote by MEPs on Wednesday.
Besides reducing Parliament's size from 751 to 705 elected representatives, a proposed re-distribution of seats, approved by the Parliament as a whole on Wednesday, would also place 46 of the 73 UK seats to be freed up by Brexit in a reserve.
Some or all of the 46 seats in the reserve could then be reallocated to new countries joining the EU or preserved to keep the institution smaller.
MEPs said the remaining 27 British seats should be re-distributed among the 14 EU countries that are slightly under-represented, to even out current inequalities in their representation in the House.
They also stressed that this allocation would apply only if the UK actually leaves the EU. Otherwise the current arrangements would stay in place until further notice.
A proposal by the Constitutional Affairs Committee calling for a number of MEPs to be elected from an EU-wide electoral constituency, was rejected by the full House.
Parliament's co-rapporteur Danuta Huebner MEP said it was Parliament's duty to "re-ignite citizens' passion for democracy" at a time when democracy as a system was being called into question: "I hope we can take a step in the right direction by approving a distribution of the European Parliament's seats that is fair, that follows objective principles, and that respects the EU's Treaty."
"The new allocation of seats means that we will reduce the overall number of MEPs from 751 to 705 while ensuring no loss of seats for any member state," added co-rapporteur Pedro Silva Pereira MEP: "Currently under-represented countries will get 27 of the 73 UK seats available after the UK leaves the EU. This will make the European Parliament a fairer reflection of the citizens it represents."
Following approval by the full House, the legislative proposals will be put to the European Council (EU heads of state or government) for a unanimous decision, and then returned to Parliament for a final yes/no vote. The composition of the European Parliament for 2019-2024 is one of the topics expected to be debated by EU leaders during the informal EU summit later in February.
Further information, European Parliament