Bulgaria MEPs to Get Extra EUR 1 500 Monthly to Cover Staff Costs

The extra money for assistants comes on top of the existing EUR 17 540 a month MEPs get to pay staff. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The European Parliament has approved an extra EUR 1 500 a month in allowances to cover staff costs and backed the hiring of 150 new administrative personnel.

The budget increase was justified, MEPs argued, because of the increased workload under the Lisbon Treaty, the BBC reported.

The extra money for assistants comes on top of the existing EUR 17 540 a month MEPs get to pay staff.

The revised budget is yet to be approved by EU governments.

The European Parliament's press service says the new posts will cost EUR 13,4 M - or 0,8% of the Parliament's total 2010 budget.

The parliament plans to cut EUR 4 M from its internal reserve for buildings, "by way of compensation". But the parliament's budget is now "stretched to its limits", the statement said.

Of the 150 new administrative staff, 75 will be civil servants and 75 assistants for the political groups.

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