International

A legal ban on the practice whereby Dutch MEPs are able to receive double pensions is urgently needed, according to SP European affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel. “Euro-MPs from the Netherlands receive a full pension from the Dutch state,” Mr van Bommel said. “Yet despite this they can also pocket a Euro-pension, a major share of which is financed by the taxpayer. This must be stopped.”

Dutch Euro-MPs receive, in accordance with the length of their service in the European Parliament, a full pension from the Dutch state. At the same time the possibility exists for them to make provision for a pension from the European Parliament itself, a pension to a large extent paid for by the Parliament, and therefore by the taxpayer. A few years ago a code of conduct was established for Dutch MEPs, in which they declared, amongst other things, that they would not take advantage of this. This code of conduct is, however, entirely voluntary, MEPs being under no obligation to sign. “The voluntary code is a paper tiger,” says Van Bommel. “We need a law which would entirely exclude the possibility of Dutch Euro-MPs receiving the Euro-pension.”