Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Politicians don’t have to account for extra money, EU court says


Members of European parliament receive more than $62,000 yearly “office money” in addition to salaries.

By EMMA R.  2 October 2018

EU parliamentarians do not need to publicly explain how they use their additional allowances according to the European Court of Justice.

The Court has recently declared that the 750 Members of the European Parliament do not need to reveal how they use the extra funds they receive from Parliament in addition to their salary.

Every month, MEPs receive around € 4.500 in a special grant called “office money”. These should primarily go to the politicians’ offices in their home country, including computer equipment, telephone/broadband and other things they need in their political work.
When a network of European journalists investigating the European Parliament began to look into how the funds were used a few years ago, it was discovered that they were passed on to members’ own accounts, and in several cases went to empty offices or offices that did not exist.
In addition, eight German MPs were revealed to have used the public compensation to pay for office rooms in their own homes.
When the European Parliament in 2015 said no to the release of members’ receipts and other documents, the investigative reporters decided to appeal to the EU Court of Justice.
And a few days ago, the verdict came, according to which the public is denied insight into how politicians use their extra allowances.
Only if it is deemed necessary may the documents be disclosed, and the Court finds that the network has failed to explain that would be the case in the present matter.
“We have seen it as obvious that when they get money to perform a task, they must also report how they use it”, says representative for the network Staffan Dahllöf.
The journalist network will now analyse the judgment together with its lawyer and consider an appeal.
This is yet another example of how the EU’s unelected overpaid bureaucrats spit on the people that pay their salaries – and whom they are supposed to serve. It is our right to ask and be informed for what our taxes are paying.
Of course this particular grant is just a drop in the ocean of money that is used in the wrong way by the greedy people that rule the organisation we’re forced to live under and obey.
It’s yet another example, and yet another reason, for all countries with the will to survive to leave the undemocratic and totalitarian sinking ship that is the EU and save themselves before it’s too late.



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