DECISION OF THE BUREAU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

of 1 July 2019

amending the Implementing Measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament

(2019/C 235/03)

THE BUREAU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 223(2) thereof,

Having regard to the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (1),

Having regard to Rule 25 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1) At its meeting of 10 December 2018, the Bureau adopted new rules regarding Members' trainees (2), introducing the possibility to allow groupings of Members to hire trainees and extending the administration by a paying agent to traineeship agreements concluded by Members with trainees based in the Member State of election. Those rules will enter into force on 2 July 2019.

(2) In May 2019, the Quaestors approved a new electronic system to allow for the automation of reimbursements of Members' air fares (3), which will rationalise, improve and speed up the management of Members' applications.

(3) The Implementing Measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (4) (‘the Implementing Measures’) need to be adapted accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The Implementing Measures are amended as follows: (1) Article 13 is amended as follows: (a) in paragraph 1, point (a) is replaced by the following: ‘(a) in the event of travel by air: tickets bearing the Member's name and all boarding cards or the electronic proof of the use of such tickets;’; (b) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following: ‘4. A Member who purchases tickets from Parliament's travel agency may, on his or her sole responsibility, and after signing an acknowledgement of receipt, ask the relevant department to reimburse the cost directly to the travel agency. In such cases, the relevant department may retrieve the supporting documents listed under paragraph 1 from the reservation system of the travel agency.’; (2) in Article 34(2), subparagraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘2. Several Members may, by written agreement, form a grouping in order jointly to employ or use the services of one or more assistants, as referred to in paragraph 1, or of one or more trainees. In such case, the Members concerned shall designate from amongst their number the Member or Members authorised to sign the contracts, or to submit a request for recruitment, on behalf of the grouping.’; (3) in Article 35, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1. All the employment and service contracts, as well as any traineeship agreements in respect of trainees who are based in the Member State of election, concluded by a Member or a grouping of Members, shall be administered by a paying agent established in a Member State.’; (4) Article 36 is amended as follows: (a) paragraph 5 is replaced by the following: ‘5. At the request of the Member, Parliament shall exceptionally pay on his or her behalf net salaries directly to those assistants with whom the Member has concluded an employment contract. The paying agent shall inform the relevant department without delay of the amounts payable in respect of social security and tax, and shall draw up the salary slips.’ (b) paragraph 5a is deleted.

Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(1) Decision 2005/684/EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 28 September 2005 adopting the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (OJ L 262, 7.10.2005, p. 1).

(2) Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 10 December 2018 concerning Members' trainees.

(3) Quaestors Notice 19/2019 of 13 May 2019.

(4) Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 19 May and 9 July 2008 concerning implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament (OJ C 159, 13.7.2009, p. 1).