CO ▁committee ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁A ▁third ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁report ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁and ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁AF CO ▁committee ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁but ▁was ▁with dra wn ▁before ▁being ▁discussed ▁in ▁pl en ary ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁for ▁fear ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁likely ▁be ▁turned ▁down . ▁▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁election ▁The ▁EU ▁needed ▁to ▁rev ise ▁the ▁app ort ion ment ▁of ▁seats ▁in ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁European ▁Parliament ▁election , ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ' s ▁ 7 3 ▁M EP s ▁may ▁have ▁vac ated ▁their ▁seats ▁following ▁Bre x it . ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁European ▁law m akers ▁discussed ▁what ▁should ▁be ▁done ▁about ▁the ▁vac ated ▁seats . ▁One ▁plan , ▁supported ▁by ▁En rico ▁Let ta , ▁Gian ni ▁Pitt ella ▁and ▁Em manuel ▁Mac ron , ▁was ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁ 7 3 ▁seats ▁with ▁a ▁pan - Europe an ▁constitu ency ▁list . ▁Other ▁options ▁which ▁were ▁considered ▁include ▁dro pping ▁the ▁British ▁seats ▁without ▁replacement ▁and ▁re assign ing ▁some ▁or ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁seats ▁from ▁other ▁countries ▁to ▁reduce ▁inequality ▁of ▁representation . ▁A ▁plan ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁seats ▁to ▁ 7 0 5 ▁was ▁approved ▁by ▁the ▁Parliament ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1