Labour MEPs cost €1.2m

The three Labour MEPs cost EU taxpayers more than €1.2 million during the first year of the current EP legislature, according to financial transparency declarations posted on their websites.

The declarations show that while Louis Grech is the most transparent of the three, providing a range of details including the names of his employees, John Attard Montalto claims he is the most present in terms of days spent on official EU business – even though this includes travelling around the world as part of EP delegations.

On the other hand, Edward Scicluna failed to divulge the names of the 12 ‘short assignment’ contracts he awarded to various individuals during his first year as an MEP and did not provide details of two ‘service contracts’ for the running of his offices.

The MEPs’ financial declarations were published a few months after those of their two Nationalist colleagues, Simon Busuttil and David Casa.

However, Labour’s declarations cover the first full year of activity whereas the PN MEPs provided details of the period from the beginning of their term in July 2009 to the end of December.

Mr Grech’s declarations were easily identifiable on his website, and he also provided details such as the names of employees as well as his paying agent.

During the first year of the legislature, he engaged three full-time employees in Brussels (two foreigners) and seven at his Malta office, four on a part-time basis. He also declared receipt of a subsistence allowance for 136.5 parliamentary days spent either in Brussels or in Strasbourg and a travel and disturbance allowance of €30,832.

Overall, Mr Grech was also the least expensive Labour MEP, costing EU taxpayers €310,933.

Dr Attard Montalto’s declarations show he attended the highest number of EP missions around the world, so much so that his travel expenses amounted to €77,308, more than double Mr Grech’s. The flamboyant MEP’s declaration, which also shows he was the most expensive parliamentarian, lacks certain details, including the names of his six employees, one in Brussels (foreign) and five in Malta.

Prof. Scicluna – whose declaration is in a section of his website dedicated to hundreds of documents in his media archives – declares a total expense of €316,827 in his first year as an MEP, but he fails to divulge the names of 12 contracted individuals on ‘short term assignments.’

On the other hand, he lists the names of his staff, including three in Brussels, (his main assistant being British), and four officials in Malta, two of them on a part-time basis.

Prof. Scicluna also declares a subsistence allowance of €38,144 for 128 days spent on official EP business, the lowest among his colleagues.

The three Labour MEPs’ total cost is over €1.2 million, which is more than the money spent on the entire Maltese Cabinet. The annual salary of MEPs currently stands at €84,000 but is expected to rise in 2011.