MEPs demand ‘transparency’ over €149 online attendance bonus at EU body
European deputies have demanded answers about a €149 allowance paid to members of an obscure EU policy body when they attend online meetings.
The 329 members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) can claim the daily fee without being in Brussels, when they take part in meetings remotely via video conferencing.
The body’s members are drawn from trades unions, employers and various civil society groups, and do not receive a salary. Their role is to provide policy advice to EU institutions, including the Parliament.
On Wednesday MEPs voted in favour of a report by Pasquale Tridico, an Italian 5 Stars MEP, calling on the EESC to strengthen the “transparency and proportionality of the system on the remote participation allowance in order to reinforce public trust.”
“Financial compensation for remote attendance must be strictly justified,” the report states. The body paid out €259,669 in 2024 for remote attendance, and over €6 million for…
