Lagging behind Lisbon

Since the Lisbon Treaty came into effect last December, EU member states have been trying to work out how to accommodate changes in the number of MEPs they send to Brussels.

Because of the EU's expansion in recent years, many small countries were not adequately represented in the European parliament, so the total number of MEPs was raised to 751 from 736 in the Lisbon Treaty.

Row over allocation

EU member states need to fine-tune the treaty, as the last European elections took place under the framework of the previous Treaty of Nice, and many member states failed to put on paper how they would implement the changes.

Spain, which holds the rotating EU presidency until June, has the most to gain, as it will be able to send an extra four MEPs to Brussels.

Germany loses four seats, but will hold on to three of those until the next legislature in 2014 to ease the transition between the two treaties. The transition still has to be approved and is one of the reasons 18 new MEPs cannot take up their posts yet.

The main sticking point, however, is France's allocation process. France gains two additional MEPs but is holding up proceedings because it cannot decide which parliamentarians should go to Brussels.

Regional vs. national selection

France elects MEPs on a regional basis, so choosing additional MEPs would mean choosing two regions at random, rather than simply picking them from a national list like other EU countries.

Therefore, France believes it is fairer to choose two members from the national parliament instead.

But Spain and other member states are unlikely to accept that, as French national assembly members were not elected in EU elections.

Experts say approving France's proposal would mean a lengthy, legally tricky process that could see the 18 new parliamentarians twiddle their thumbs even longer before finally being able to take up their jobs.

"Spain's goal is to push for the treaty change by the end of the year, as they have the most to gain from the changes," Nikolai von Ondarza, researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told Deutsche Welle.

"France insists it won't hold extra elections to determine the two new candidates, but designating them from the national parliament is democratically and legally questionable," Ondarza explained.

Of the 12 countries that stand to gain extra MEPs, France is the only one that refuses to use the 2009 election results as a basis from which to choose its additional candidates.

Waiting game

Meanwhile, none of the additional MEPs can take up their posts in Brussels.

Amelia Andersdotter from the Pirate Party in Sweden is one of them. But rather than sit around and wait for a decision, the 22-year-old politician headed to Brussels, where she managed to get a pass, albeit only as an intern. All she can do is watch what goes on, but she tries to remain positive.

"Once I'm officially an MEP, I won't be this free anymore. Then I will have to go to regular meetings and decide which committees to attend. Now I can just check out budget control, for example, or sit in on the environment committee," Andersdotter told German daily Tagesanzeiger.

Andersdotter and her 17 new colleagues could get observer status after parliament's summer recess, but they will most likely have to wait until at least December before they can take up their posts in earnest.

Ondarza believes France will eventually cave in to pressure and choose two regional candidates.

"Due to the pressure from the EU and the national parliaments, the most likely solution is that France will back down…They'll have to choose two regions from which they'll send one additional MEP each," Ondarza told Deutsche Welle.

Whichever the solution, it will have to be approved by the constitutional committee of the European Parliament on April 7, before it is put before the plenary. Then the Council of Ministers, which represents the member states, will have to vote on the changes.

Author: Nicole Goebel

Editor: Susan Houlton