Press release: European Parliament seat confirmed

European Parliament seat confirmed in Strasbourg : anti-Strasbourg defeated

The Court of Justice of the European Union has just published a judgment fully in line with France’s stance objecting to shorter plenary sessions of the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg for 2012 and 2013.

We welcome the decision of the Court based on essential Treaty provisions:

- the seat of the EP is inStrasbourg.

- the 12 plenary sessions must take place inStrasbourgthroughout the year.

We therefore call upon the European Parliament to modify its 2013 calendar in order to re-establish the monthly session as set by the treaties.

We deplore the fact that the anti-Strasbourg lobby led MEPs to act in contradiction with the treaties. This lobby continues to challenge permanently the seat of the EP inStrasbourg, using questionable means and arguments.

For European citizens, the seat of the EP in Strasbourgis neither a coincidence nor the artificial result of Treaty provisions. This localisation was the natural choice for the Founding Fathers, because of the city’s close ties to European history. European parliamentary democracy is rooted in Strasbourgsince 1949 and the EP has its seat there since 1962. Moreover, this location reflects the principle of geographical diversity whereby our common institutions are spread among the Member States. The treaties only confirm these facts.

For all these reasons, we sincerely wish thatStrasbourgbe up to the requirements of its status of European capital and we welcome all measures taken by the national and local authorities, as well as by the private actors concerned, to this end. In this respect, the report “For or against the European Parliament seat in Strasbourg?”, published by the AEJE in February 2012, contains 22 recommendations aimed at meeting the expectations of MEPs and the other actors involved in the EP sessions.

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Pauline Armandet  Présidente Au Café de l’Europe

Valérie Blum   Présidente Strasbourg Pour l’Europe

François Friederich  Président du Mouvement Européen Alsace 

Vincent Gouvion   Président du Cercle Daniel Riot

Pierre Loeb Co-Président Association Européenne des Jeunes Entrepreneurs                  

Nicholas Snowman Président Démocratie Européenne

Jean-Baptiste Mathieu Président Union des Fédéralistes Européens Alsace