Isn't the EU a wonderful example of accountability and transparency

[purits]

Article in the Independent.

The ECJ has ruled that we aren't allowed to know about MEP's expenses because “the protection of privacy and the integrity of the individual” is more important than accountability and transparency regarding public money (about EU500m a year).
So that's OK then.

It's more transparent than our own government. The article is a little misleading as MEPs expenses are fixed anyway. Expenses for constituency office rent, telephone and postal charges, and IT costs are capped . In 2017 it was €4,342 per month. The allowance is halved to € 2,171 if an MEP fails to attend at least half of the sessions.

Most MEPs publish their summary of annual general allowance expenses, as do the majority of UK MEPs. Some also make available invoices/receipts for expenditure items of £25 and above anyway. The case is about how the data protection laws apply. Most MEPs publish the details openly in any event.

For example this helps explain the system ...http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/about-the-european-parliament/mep-pay-and-expenses/

www.richardcorbett.org.uk/transparency/salary-expenses/

WM MPs voted before the summer recess to keep investigations into bullying, corruption and sexual harassment in-house and anonymous to protect their own reputations which makes it hard for the British parliament to take the moral high ground on this.

Ours happened because of a leak not because of a court order.

Another article

“The EU Court of Justice’s decision is embarrassing and — combined with the clearly demonstrated unwillingness of MEPs to have their expenses audited — plays directly into the hands of EU skeptics ... It shows that the only elected representatives of EU citizens, the MEPs, are a class of their own and do not answer to anyone, least of all the public.”

Most parliaments are problematic when it comes to desirable levels of transparency or votes on their own rules and governance.

Also, this ruling is consistent with the idea of privacy for individuals. The argument that certain individuals dont deserve that privacy would need to be powerful and that case has yet to be made.

Nope.
Lots wrong with the EU.

There's lots wrong with my kitchen too, but I'm not going to burn my house to the ground as a "solution".

I mean, very few (any?) remainers claim the EU is perfect. There is plenty to criticise. But Brexit is still a huge mistake.

But @SquishySquirmy - surely burning it down would be taking back control.

Since the population of the EU is similar to that of the USA, would you like to pitch accountability and transparency of the EU compared to the USA. Or indeed any big 'region'. Some states of Russia, China?
As others have noted the EU is far from perfect but has a small 'advantage' in that with so many 'competing' member states there is a fair amount of scrutiny.

Warm and fuzzy tale re Martin Selmayr being anointed Secretary General of the EU Commision.........

The outgoing Secretary-General, Mr Italianer, .......was replaced by Mr Selmayr without a competition and without any formal consideration of other candidates. As the vacancy was not published, no other candidates could apply.
In order to be fully eligible for such a direct reassignment, Mr Selmayr first had to apply to become Deputy Secretary-General. Such a position became vacant in January 2018.........This information was known at that time only by the President and by Mr Selmayr.
On Wednesday, 21 February 2018, the College of Commissioners approved the appointment of Mr Selmayr first as Deputy Secretary-General and then his reassignment as Secretary-General just minutes later, following the announcement during the meeting that the then Secretary-General would step down in March. The retirement of Mr Italianer had not been on the agenda.
When valid concerns were raised in relation to how the surprise double-appointments were made, the Commission reacted in an evasive, defensive and legalistic manner, which served further to increase concerns.
Result of a robust and far reaching enquiry has resulted in new vacancies being pinned up on the canteen notice board.

I’m not burning my kitchen down! 😲 I’ve stocked up six weeks supply of food and meds, in case this most likely goes tits up.

"The European Union’s audits have been signed off with a qualified opinion for the first time since 1994 ... the first clean opinion on the accounts’ reliability in 23 years."

source

Now that's taking back control @PositivelyPERF . Shame you have to even think about it.

At the end of the day EU membership only cost 0.7% of GDP.There was only salary and expenses needed for 750 MEPs. Ten per cent of whom were British.

But in return we got ( past tense) open access to a market with an annual GDP worth $19.7 trillion in 2018, representing ~22% of global economy.

Anyone can scrabble around and find examples of appointments and payments the EU could have done better, but membership was still phenomenal value for money and so very worthwhile.

I wonder what it will take for LPM to not turn a blind eye. They couldn't get their accounts right for 23 years - thinking about it, that's pretty much since it started in 1993 - and you don't care?

Better the devil you know!

The EU has bestowed immense benefits and you don't care?

Not sure where you are trying to go with this line of questioning.
EVERYONE tries to 'push the envelope' of what dues should be paid.

Besides, if you are in the UK you will be out of the EU so it is only dishonest UK MPs you can go after. Good luck.

Whether the EU's accounts have been audited or not is not as simple as that, as they are also dependent on all the EU constituent countries spending and reporting accurately (amongst other things). The UK Government's own procurement complexities are partly to "blame".

This explains the "they have and they haven't been audited" confusion quite well.

https://fullfact.org/europe/did-auditors-sign-eu-budget/

Flexibility bending the rules when it suits them is pretty much their modus operandi.

palmer, is that your interpretation of events or is it a quote from somewhere?

I’m taking no chances, bellinisurge. I’m actually surprised by how many of my clients are doing the same. Mind you, I’m in NI and experience has taught me, that if there are any shortages in the UK, we’ll be low down the pecking order for deliveries.

Lying their way out being flexible with the truth seems to be the modus operandi of our politicians.

@purits

i thought i'd spend 2 minutes on google and came up with this, all is not as it seems from a ukip, DM or Telegraph headline.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36276175

Of course nothing is perfect, the Eu isn't nor are we eg uk wasting billions on Lockheed Martin aircraft spec or a billion on Nimrod, then scrapping it, or Cross Rail over spend, all unaccountable waste or even fraud, we ll never know.

Lying their way out being flexible with the truth seems to be the modus operandi of our politicians.

At this moment in time I wouldn’t disagree with you Peregrina