Press release: New website puts MEP voting records under the spotlight

Brussels, 11 May 2009: The complete voting records of MEPs are being made accessible online for the first time with the launch of a new website aimed at promoting better debates and greater transparency in EU decision-making.

www.votewatch.eu uses the European Parliament's own attendance, voting and activity data - available through the Parliament's website - to give a full overview of MEP activities, broken down by nationality, national political party and European party grouping. Using sophisticated statistical methods developed by political scientists from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, the website covers the Parliament’s activities during the 2004-2009 term and will be updated following each voting session in plenary.

Votewatch.eu will be expanded in a second phase to also include information on governments’ decision records in the Council of Ministers. This second phase is planned for late 2009/early 2010.

The website is the brainchild of Sara Hagemann from the European Policy Centre in Brussels, Professor Simon Hix of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Doru Frantescu from Qvorum Institute in Bucharest, and Abdul G. Noury, Associate Professor of Economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

The website's authors have carefully checked all information regarding the accuracy of the MEPs’ activities, voting records and political allegiances. Although they are confident the information provided on the website is accurate and up-to-date, they have pledged to immediately correct any factual errors.

According to Hagemann, who is leading the project, the website is not aimed at naming and shaming MEPs. “Europe needs a stronger democracy. We want to make the way it works more transparent, so that voters can better understand how their MEPs are casting their vote on important issues which affect or concern them, and we want to help MEPs tell their voters about their activities.”

Votewatch.eu is a not-for-profit organisation supported by the Open Society Institute, Burson-Marsteller and Electionmall.com.


For further information please contact:
Kim Larsen
Director, Burson-Marsteller Denmark
+45 2887 0506
kim.larsen@bm.com