Thread by @pietercleppe, Time to start a thread #EUbudgetwaste : https://twitter.com/kvasinka/status/1297879151966326785#eubudget Bulgaria: https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1296566729888468995 #EUbudgetwaste #eubudget [...]

The European Union spends $65 billion a year subsidizing agriculture. But a chunk of that money emboldens strongmen, enriches politicians and finances corrupt dealing.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/world/europe/eu-farm-subsidy-hungary.html

How the European Parliament is condoning this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/world/europe/EU-farm-subsidies-corruption.html
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

E.U. Lawmakers Condemn Subsidy Corruption but Disagree on What to Do

A Times investigation showed how oligarchs and political patrons make millions in farm subsidies. But the program is all but sacrosanct.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/world/europe/EU-farm-subsidies-corruption.html

The Netherlands:
https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1230513447370141696
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1230513447370141696

EU-funded ski slopes on places with hardly any snow in Hungary and Denmark:
https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1229434971066073096
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1229434971066073096

Despite the EU's anti-fraud body, OLAF, detailing one single eurocrat (yes, 1) incurred €500k in expenses that cannot be justified:
https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1217405324803682304
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1217405324803682304

Also the @EUauditors reports, which for example detail that EU cohesion funds are vulnerable to fraud don't seem to deliver a wake-up call: https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1130788059476299778
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1130788059476299778

The Czech Republic (its oligarch turned Prime Minister anyway) seems to love EU agricultural funds a little too much for his own good:
https://twitter.com/POLITICOEurope/status/1201782625372909568 Then, some MEPs have conflicts of interests here as well https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1150859020686811137
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/POLITICOEurope/status/1201782625372909568

The "Juncker fund" -"set to create 1.4 million jobs and increase EU GDP by 1.3%" - turned out to be yet another EU transfer scheme
https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1083031731148673025
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1083031731148673025

Also the EU Commission seems happy to just shift responsibility, as a part of its budget is simply delegated to NGOs whereby "the European Commission does not have sufficiently detailed information on how the money is spent”
https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1075732449198555136 #EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1075732449198555136

Of course, MEPs are starring in this thread as well - noblesse oblige - with their overall perks and in particular their continued refusal to disclose how they spend more than €4k per month on "admin":
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/10/24/british-meps-set-brexit-golden-handshakes-worth-millions/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw
https://www.politico.eu/article/strasbourg-european-parliament-meps-reject-scrutiny-of-expenses/
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

Hungary, and its "eurosceptic" leader, Mr. Orban, who is never too shy to accept EU cash:
https://twitter.com/euobs/status/1055106649021730817
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget

https://twitter.com/euobs/status/1055106649021730817

Is it any wonder that a CEPR study concluded that “EU structural funds [are] negatively correlated with regional growth”? https://twitter.com/pietercleppe/status/1024661160417738752
#EUbudgetwaste #EUBudget