Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has condemned plans by the European Commission to spend more than £200 million promoting a “better understanding of the EU".
In a statement Mr Nicholson said: “Given the financial turmoil in the eurozone, spending cuts and rising unemployment across all Member States people want to see the European institutions working proactively to create jobs and economic stability not wasting money in this way.
The Commission has stated that this new project, entitled Europe for Citizens, will run from 2014 to 2020, and replaces the current programme which has a budget of €215 million - a sum referred to by the Commission as “modest”! Even during the best of times this is a significant amount of money to spend on what can only be described as a PR exercise. However, given the current economic situation a project such as this, ironically aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the EU, actually succeeds in making its decision makers appear totally out of touch with reality.
I would encourage the European Commission to rethink this extravagant proposal and refocus its attention on solving the day to day issues which actually matter to the people of Europe.”
