The Centre for European Reform has outlined 35 practical, feasible reform ideas that, if properly implemented, would make a better EU and would win widespread support across the member states.

Reforms not requiring treaty change

Salary

All MEPs receive a monthly pre-tax salary of €7,957 (€ 95,484 per year). They pay EU tax and accident insurance contributions, after which the monthly salary is €6,201.  MEPs’ basic salary is set at 38.5% of the salary of a judge at the European Court of Justice. The MEPs pension fund is non-contributory. All payments are made from the Parliament’s budget and none are deducted from the salary of MEPs. The salary package includes life and accident insurance, medical insurance, and payments towards language and computer tuition (if ever used).

Madam,

We take note of the record victory of your party in the European elections in France.

It is customary for politicians from the centre (right and left) to claim they have “learnt the lessons” from the results of the European elections and to acknowledge the strength of anti-EU and a broader anti-establishment feeling. Yet they said the same thing five years ago, and five years later there are more – many more – MEPs from the extremes of the political spectrum that will sit in Strasbourg and Brussels.