South East of England MEP Nirj Deva has today (Friday) lent his support to the efforts of Conservative MEP Roger Helmer and twenty four other Euro MPs in their efforts to challenge EU proposals for tax-payer funding of pan-European political parties.

The lawsuit, supported by politicians from across the political spectrum, including fifteen supporters from countries preparing to join the European Union in June, seeks to tackle EU Regulation No. EC 2004/2003, which will provide more than five million pounds to fund Europe-wide political parties focused on promoting European federalism.

Speaking from the European Parliament in Brussels, Nirj Deva said:

“Inside the European Parliament, it is clear that this measure would lead to a situation where some MEPs will effectively be ‘second class citizens’ in their own Parliament, with those favouring European integration having the upper hand over those who oppose the legislative steamroller the European Parliament has become.

“I am proud to lend my political support to this genuine effort to tackle this veiled move towards European federalism”

The lawsuit will be heard before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) during June.