http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-news/2506-pound400m-dismissed-as-nothing-by-eu
Monday, 10 October 2011
£400m dismissed as 'nothing' by EU, 7th October 2011
In an astonishing statement in Brussels a senior EU official, Loretta Dormal-Marino, claimed that a hidden £400 million increase in spending was "nothing".
She was responding to Stuart Agnew MEP, the UKIP agriculture spokesman who had highlighted the increase. "I am not sure what planet the Commission live on if they think that a £400 million is nothing! Wherever it is, it isn't the same planet as the rest of us. Even under their own terms it is a 3% increase in the budget of €14 billion which is in these times of austerity is an increase too far," said Mr Agnew.
The increase is due to a change in the rules governing the part funding of Agricultural projects. The Commission had slipped an amendment into an obscure regulation: 'As regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Members States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability.'
Previously the EU would only provide a small percentage and the recipient's own government would provide the remainder. This rule change allows the EU to pay up to 95% of the subsidy. Mr Agnew said: "It seems pretty clear that this is done to provide a hidden bailout to struggling EU nations. The nations eligible for this
change are Greece, Portugal, Ireland Romania and Latvia. This way, British taxpayers are contributing to further effective bailouts without being aware of it.
"It is dishonest and underhand and their utter unconcern about such vast sums of money being smuggled through the budget is outrageous."
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