EU Should Stop Buying Support with Taxpayers Money
Ashley Mote MEP Asks Court of Auditors to Intervene
During a debate in the European Parliament today, Wednesday 22 October 2008, the Independent MEP for South-East England, Ashley Mote, complained that British taxpayers’ money was being used to help the EU buy support in candidate countries.
During his one-minute speech, Mr Mote said:
“The European Commission allocates billions of euros for social engineering purposes. This public money is being used to purchase popular support for the EU itself amongst recipients, whether candidate countries or not, by funding infrastructure and other projects likely to generate public awareness.
“Much of this money is not properly managed. They build roads and bridges that lead nowhere, and 400 million euros provide electricity in Kosovo where many of the subsequent receipts simply disappear.
“These are highly political uses of public money, regardless of the supposed beneficiaries.
“Is it any wonder taxpayers in net contributor countries - like the UK – are increasingly objecting to EU funds being given to countries whose own tax burden is lower - sometimes much lower -
and which effectively replaces the lack of local tax revenues.
“Given the nature and scale of financial irregularities and fraud endemic in the EU, I have written to the Court of Auditors urging clarification of the law on the legality of payments from public funds which have been qualified under International Financial Accounting Standards.”
To respond to, or comment on this Email, please email ashley.mote@btconnect.com
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