In the next composition of the European Parliament (EP), Latvia will have nine seats instead of the current eight, the EP Constitutional Affairs Committee decided on Monday, the 12th of June.
The final vote on this decision is scheduled for Thursday, the 15th of June, at the plenary session in Strasbourg.
In documents adopted on Monday night, the committee proposed increasing the number of MEP seats by 11, dividing them among nine member states to reflect demographic changes in the European Union (EU).
The draft report, drawn up by MEPs Laurent Vince of the European People’s Party (EPP) and Sandro Godzi of Renew, recognizes that
the current composition of the EP no longer complies with the principles set out in the EU treaties,
and it is proposed to create an additional 11 seats for the EP elections in 2024.
Two of these places will be allocated to Spain, another two to the Netherlands, and one place each to Austria, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Ireland, Slovenia, and Latvia.
The report emphasizes the need to act quickly so that member states can make the necessary changes at the national level
before the EP elections next year.
The draft proposal for a European Council decision was adopted by 15 votes to eight, with five committee members abstaining.
Once every five years, before the next EP elections, the EP comes up with a proposal on the distribution of seats among the member states, based on the principles established in the EU Treaties and according to the latest data on the population.