TransparencY
Because it matters to me.
Transparent deputy
The income of elected representatives is often the subject of heated debate. In my opinion, the pay of representatives should be calculated in such a way that political independence is established. At the same time, publicity and transparency are part of a democratic society.
In the following, I will therefore give an account so that you, the citizens, have the necessary insight into my remuneration, my office and staffing, as well as my additional income as a Member of the European Parliament.
My earnings
My monthly remuneration
The monthly salary for Members of the European Parliament, before deduction of taxes, has been 9,386.29 euros since January 1, 2022, in accordance with the Uniform Statute for Members of the European Parliament. This salary is fixed by law and corresponds to 38.5% of the basic salary of judges at the Court of Justice of the European Union. My remuneration is paid from the budget of the European Parliament and is subsequently subject to EU Community tax. In addition, an accident insurance contribution is deducted. After the appropriate deduction, my remuneration amounts to 7,316.63 euros. On this contribution, like any other citizen, I pay income tax in the Federal Republic of Germany, whereby the double taxation agreement is applied.
My office equipment
(office and triple housekeeping)
Members of the European Parliament, like members of the Bundestag and the Landtag, receive various allowances to cover the costs they incur in exercising their parliamentary mandate. These are broken down as follows:
- To pay for material expenses (e.g., office rent for the constituency office, constituency office equipment and office organization, telephone bills and postage, and for the purchase, operation and maintenance of computer and telecommunications equipment, etc.), there is a monthly tax-free expense allowance of 4,778 euros from the European Parliament. Due to the fact that all mandate-related expenses are to be compensated with this lump sum, I am not allowed to claim any income-related expenses in my tax return.
- In order to reimburse the costs of accommodation in Strasbourg and Brussels as well as meals and other costs, MEPs receive a lump-sum allowance of 338 euros on meeting days on which they are present. Since I as an MEP – unlike other taxpayers – am not allowed to claim income-related expenses from the tax office, this lump sum serves to compensate for the additional costs of double or triple housekeeping (in the constituency, in Brussels and in Strasbourg). During plenary sessions, the per diem allowance is reduced by half for all Members who did not participate in at least half of the roll-call votes, even if they were present.
- Travel expenses to and from meetings in which I participate as a Member of the European Parliament shall be reimbursed, upon presentation of receipts, in accordance with the actual ticket costs in the case of rail and air travel, and at the rate of EUR 0.56 per kilometer in the case of travel by car for the direct route between my place of residence and my place of work.
Regulation for staffing
A deputy’s office is like a small business. For the fulfillment of my tasks I may rely on employees who are paid by budget funds, the amount of which is determined by the European Parliament.
I am allowed to choose my own employees. So-called accredited assistants (APA) based in Brussels (or Luxembourg/Strasbourg) are directly managed by the Parliament’s administration in accordance with the European Parliament’s Conditions of Employment for Temporary Staff. Staff members with their place of work in the constituency are supervised by so-called “qualified paying agents” (mostly tax advisors), who ensure compliance with tax and social security regulations. Furthermore, I can employ interns at the place of the parliament or in the constituency for an internship fee.
In 2022, the maximum monthly amount that I may dispose of as an MEP to cover all related gross salaries, travel expenses and administrative expenses is 26,734 euros. These funds are not paid to me, but directly to my staff.
The total cost of local staff and interns may not exceed 75% of the funds available for parliamentary assistance. The costs for service providers, in turn, may not exceed 25% of these funds.
Ancillary income
In addition to my mandate as an MEP, I still continue my professorship at Erasmus University Rotterdam on a small scale. For this I receive a gross salary of 1,206 euros. I have declared this in my “Declaration of Members’ Financial Interests” in accordance with the transparency rules of the European Parliament.
The transparency rules do not require the disclosure of the specific gross salary amount, but rather a classification into income categories. My gross salary amount is at the lower end of income category 3 (1,001 euros to 5,000 euros gross per month).
I do not receive any additional income.
As a member of parliament, I talk to many people every day, including officials, elected officials and stakeholders. This is my job, because it is the only way to keep politics close to people’s lives. To give you the necessary overview, I document all my appointments with lobbyists.