A scandal over fraudulent travel
expenses and misuse of official cars came to a head yesterday
when MEPs refused to approve the accounts of the body representing
European Union regions.
A dossier of irregularities presented by
an auditor included over-estimates of distances and costs of journeys,
claims without airline tickets or boarding cards, and a train
ticket sent in with correction fluid on it. One member of the
EU's Committee of the Regions (CoR) is said to be under investigation
for €3,600 (£2,500) of private travel in official cars.
After a plea from an internal auditor for
more time to clarify the situation, the European Parliament's
budget control committee decided not to approve the accounts,
postponing a decision pending further investigation.
The CoR is made up of 222 representatives
of local or regional government, and some elected politicians
appointed to the body to reflect the diversity of opinion in the
EU.They give opinions on legislation but have little real power.The
revelations will damage the body's shaky status at a time when
when the convention on the future of Europe is studying the role
of EU bodies ahead of enlargement next year.
Eluned Morgan, a Labour member of the European
Parliament's budget control committee, said it would have been
"irresponsible" to approve the CoR accounts "when
there are loopholes and when some of the rules are open to interpretation
which can lead to fraud". However, the committee approved
the 2001 accounts of the European Commission, despite the objections
of the former chief accountant Marta Andreasen, who has been suspended.
Ms Andreasen faces disciplinary
action for her public criticism of the Commission's internal accounting
system. But most MEPs accepted that its accounting standards are
no worse than those of most national governments and that reform
is under way.
