Bulgaria to lose 1 European parliament seat in 2014

Bulgaria will lose one European Parliament seat in 2014, it has been made clear. The Balkan country will remain with just 17 MEPs . To comply with the 751-seat limit set by the Lisbon Treaty and make room for Croatia, 12 EU member states would each lose one seat at the next European elections and none would gain any, under the solution adopted by Parliament on Wednesday. This proposal now goes to the heads of state and government in the European Council, who must decide by a unanimous vote. Parliament currently numbers 754 MEPs. When Croatia joins the EU this year it will be entitled to 12 seats, bringing the total number of MEPs to 766. To comply with the maximum of 751 seats set by the Lisbon Treaty from next year's European elections, 15 seats must be given up. The allocation of seats for the 2014-2019 parliamentary term "should not be arbitrary but should instead be based on objective criteria to be applied in a pragmatic manner", says the resolution adopted by 536 votes to 111, with 44 abstentions. Demographic changes should be taken into account, while ensuring that "losses are limited to a maximum of one seat per member state", it adds. The proposed solution means that 12 member states - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania - would each lose one seat at the next European elections. The remaining three seats have to come from Germany, whose share must go down from 99 seats to 96, the maximum allowed by the Lisbon Treaty.