News | Sunday, 14 February 2010

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Malta holiday in EU funds row

Malta, France, Germany and Brighton in the UK have been drawn into a row at the European Parliament over alleged “taxpayers’ assisted” summer camps and holidays for the children of Brussels eurocrats.
The discovery of subsidised holidays for the children of up to 80 EU civil servants has led to an outcry among MEPs – they too no strangers to accusations of largesse thanks to their generous expenses, salaries, pensions and allowances.
Details of the reported holidays – which include one ski trip and four summer camps every year – are hard to find due to their inclusion in the annual European Parliament accounts under the unsuspecting entry “Social services – social interventions”.
But the details came to light after questions put forward by MEPs demanded better audits of how the European Parliament’s €1.5 billion annual budget is spent.
A total of 97 children were sent on four subsidised summer camps in 2008, the last year for which the European Parliament would give details. They were reportedly held in France, Malta, Germany and Brighton.
Next week, children of EU officials will be heading to the Italian Alps for a subsidised ski holiday that will be funded by European Parliament’s ultimate slush fund — a €234,000 annual budget to pay for staff privileges.

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