(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 25 - The plenary session of the European Parliament expressed today its opinion against granting voting rights to immigrants with long-term staying permits in the European and administrative elections. The result was reached thanks to the votes of the right-wing and the support of 27 socialist Euro MPs, who decided to express their opinion against the vote to the immigrants, in opposition with their party's indications. Among them, there was also Alessandro Battilocchio, of the Italian socialist party, and five Euro MPs from PSOE, the party of Spanish Prime Minister Jose' Luis Zapatero. The opinion against granting voting rights to immigrants was expressed through the suppression of an article, included in the report on the progress made in the field of justice, freedom and security in the EU, written by Belgian liberal Gerard Deprez, president of the Commission for justice, freedom and security in the European Parliament. The suppressed article was inviting the EU Commission to study the conditions to grant voting rights to immigrants in European and local elections, as a useful tool to improve integration. The amendment to suppress that article was suggested by PPE, the group of the European People's Party, and approved with 268 votes in favour, 243 against and nine abstentions. The representatives of PPE, the Union of Europe of the Nations (UEN), which includes the League and AN, voted in favour, but the votes of the 27 socialists (and three liberals) who went against their party were decisive. Each member state decides whether to grant or not the vote to immigrants, but the Parliament can supply a political indication, in this case a negative one. (ANSAmed).