European Parliament
Rothley (PSE ),
draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market
. –
(DE)
Mr President, I would like to add a footnote to the discussion. The privileges and immunities
of Members of the European Parliament are still governed by a protocol dating back to 1965 and tailored to the Parliamentary Assembly as it existed at the time. In a letter to the foreign ministers, the Italian Presidency has alluded to the possibility of the protocols being revised, which it sees as desirable. That is something I would very much welcome. Next year, we will have had a directly elected European Parliament for twenty-five years. It is high time for our legal position to be regulated at European level. If not at the Intergovernmental Conference, then when is that to be done?
I might say, by the way, that it is a matter of some indifference to me whether these new rules, which are necessary, are instituted under the Statute or by an act of primary legislation. I am not very concerned about that, and see it as a secondary consideration, but it has to happen, and if it does not, there will be no Members’ Statute either.
(Applause)

