Maltese MEPs have different opinions about Socialist Group President Martin Schulz’s proposal to reduce the seats of the European Parliament (EP) from three to one.

Labour MEPs Joseph Muscat and Louis Grech said they were in favour of the proposal, made in a letter to EP president Josep Borrell, which The Malta Independent on Sunday has obtained.

Mr Muscat said: “It is high time Parliament stops wasting some e200 million annually to follow this practice.

“Just to keep things in perspective, Malta only receives e114 million according to the new financial budget,” he said.

Mr Schulz’s proposal has given a boost to the campaign to get rid of Strasbourg as a meeting place, which has been going on for years.

At present, the 732 MEPs have to commute each month from Brussels, where they are based, to attend a plenary session in Strasbourg at an annual cost of e200 million a year.

Luxembourg is also an official meeting place of the European Parliament.

Mr Grech said that in his report on the 2007 budget for other EU institutions, he has already criticised the “unnecessary and exorbitant cost due to the dispersion and duplication of activities in three different workplaces”.

Both Mr Muscat and Mr Grech did not indicate which meeting place they prefer.

Mr Muscat said: “I think the priority should be that of securing one seat, one working place; thus my thoughts about the ideal location are not important at this stage.”

On his part, Mr Grech said, “Obviously the logistic and financial aspects are two main factors to be taken into account”.

Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil said he could not comment as he has been appointed in the 10-MEP Working Group tasked by the EP’s Budgetary Control Committee to investigate claims that Strasbourg city has overcharged the EP up to e2.7 million a year in rental fees for the past 25 years.

“I hope you appreciate that in order to perform my function in this Working Group adequately I need the serenity to investigate matters without undue pressure to pre-empt the outcome, or to pass judgements on Strasbourg as a seat of the European Parliament,” he said.

Labour MEP John Attard Montalto and Nationalist MEP David Casa could not be reached; they are on an official delegation visit to Mauritania and Turkey respectively.