Climate MEPs live it up in Tenerife

A GROUP of Euro-MPs sparked fury yesterday after jetting off to sunny Tenerife on an expensive junket to discuss climate change.

Sun drenched Playa del Duque beach on Tenerife s Costa Adeje where the talking shop is being held Sun-drenched Playa del Duque beach on Tenerife's Costa Adeje where the 'talking shop' is being held

The six-day summit will see scores of Eurocrats descending on the Canary Isles, leaving taxpayers back home to pick up the £550,000 bill.

Five British MEPs form part of the EU delegation that will discuss climate change, bananas and illegal immigration on the popular holiday island. 

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But no treaties will be signed and no legislation will come into force as the summit has no power to enshrine decisions in law.

Instead, the 250 delegates will enjoy visits to the island’s finest beaches and be wined and dined at gala dinners while living it up in luxury hotels.

Critics last night branded it “hypocritical” to fly delegations ­thousands of miles – creating some 200 tons in carbon emissions – to discuss saving the planet.

UKIP Euro-MP Derek Clark said: “MEPs from all three establishment parties are off on a junket with ­taxpayers’ cash, pouring tons of carbon into the atmosphere.”

Mark Wallace, of the TaxPayers’ ­Alliance, said: “It is sickening that these MEPs are jetting off to a sunny island while their constituents are stuck with strikes, pay cuts and tax rises. To fly to a conference where they plan to lecture us about climate change is the height of hypocrisy.

“It’s funny how these conferences are always held somewhere with sandy, sunny beaches.”

Friends of the Earth said: “MEPs should be leading by example.”

The summit, which starts today, was described as little more than a “talking shop” by one Eurocrat.

Among the delegates are British Euro‑MPs David Martin (Labour), Martin Callanan (­Conservative), Robert Sturdy ­(Conservative), James Nicholson (Ulster Unionist) and Fiona Hall (Liberal Democrat).

Last night Miss Hall said it was Spain which chose Tenerife as it holds the EU presidency. She added: “It is ridiculous that we have to go all the way to Tenerife.” No other MEP was available for comment.

The delegation is made up of 68 Euro-MPs from all 27 EU member states. They will meet with 68 representatives from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) nations and up to 114 officials and translators.

Conference and accommodation costs are estimated to be £400,000, while flights for the EU delegation will cost £160,000. ACP delegates are expected to pay their own way.

An ACP-EU spokesman told the Daily Express yesterday that Tenerife had been chosen because the Canary Islands were Europe’s biggest banana producer and a prime gateway for ­illegal immigration.

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