Side jobs earn Guy Verhofstadt 200,000 extra

Euro MPs' basic pay is 6,200 euros a month, but expenses can add several thousand euros to this amount.

Transparency International, an ngo combatting corruption, says that 400 of the European Parliament's MPs have a second job. Some MPs earn a couple of hundred euros extra, but others are making thousands. Transparency International has worked out that Euro MPs' other activities generate up to 18.3 million euros in extra income.

In addition to his parliamentary salary the former Belgian Prime Minister and liberal contender for the post of European Commission President earned 200,000 euros. That's 16,000 euros before tax. Mr Verhofstadt is on the board of companies including Sofina and Exmar België as well as the European Institute for the Public Administration. He attended 17 meetings.

Fellow Belgian Louis Michel (MR) earned up to 10,000 euros extra as did Gerolf Annemans (Vlaams Belang). Annemie Neyts (Open VLD) made 5,000 euro. Other Belgian Euro MPs did not declare any significant amounts according to Transparency International.