EU's "MISSING MILLIONS"- COURT OF AUDITORS REPORT

11.43.23am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 16th Nov 2004

Details of the Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors were given to MEPs last night.

West Midlands Euro MP Liz Lynne said:

"For the first time the Court of Auditors has spelt out that the main problem of Europe's 'missing millions' lies not in Brussels but in the national capitals. Treasuries across Europe are responsible for 80% of funding in areas where they share administration with the EU.

"Taxpayers have a right to know that their money is being spent properly, but with accounting improvements in hand it's time that the European Commission stopped allowing itself to be treated as a punchbag for eurosceptics and hit back.

The Liberal Democrat MEP added:

"Gordon Brown's Treasury must explain why eight UK government departments have recently been criticised by auditors for weak financial control. More money disappears through fraud from Britain's welfare budget alone than out of the entire programme of EU spending. If Europe's problems are to be sorted more attention needs to be paid to the problems of London, Paris and Berlin."

ENDS

The 2003 Annual Report, a summary and a press release will be available in the EU languages on Tuesday, 16 November 2004 starting from 12h00 on the website of the European Court of Auditors at http://www.eca.eu.int/audit_reports/annual_reports/docs/2003/ra03_en.pdf.