▁the ▁greatest ▁los er ▁under ▁the ▁Lis bon ▁system ▁and ▁sought ▁the ▁same ▁number ▁of ▁M EP s ▁as ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁Italy ▁raised ▁the ▁issue ▁during ▁treat y ▁negoti ations ▁and ▁succeeded ▁in ▁gain ing ▁one ▁extra ▁M EP ▁( g iving ▁it ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁UK ) ▁while ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁counted ▁as ▁a ▁law maker ▁hence ▁keeping ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁M EP s ▁to ▁the ▁ 7 5 0 - se at ▁limit . ▁M EP s ▁also ▁intended ▁to ▁propose ▁am end ments ▁well ▁in ▁advance ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁elections ▁to ▁take ▁account ▁of ▁dem ographic ▁changes . ▁It ▁was ▁hoped ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁avoid ▁the ▁political ▁horse ▁trad ing ▁that ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁numbers ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁re vised . ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament ▁voted ▁a ▁new ▁proposal ▁updating ▁seat ▁assign ments ▁per ▁country ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁taking ▁into ▁account ▁dem ographic ▁changes ▁and ▁bringing ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁seats ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁nom inal ▁ 7 5 1 ▁en sh r ined ▁in ▁the ▁Lis bon ▁Tre aty . ▁The ▁same ▁document ▁suggests ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁formal ▁process ▁" based ▁on ▁objective ▁criteria ▁to ▁be ▁applied ▁in ▁a ▁p rag m atic ▁manner " ▁for ▁app ort ion ing ▁seats ▁in ▁future ▁elections . ▁▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁am end ment ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁app