Letter sent to The Editor, News of the World, 27 October 2010

Your article “We scrimp and save …. Eurocrats splurge” published 24 October incorrectly states that the 2011 budget for the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) is 158 million pounds. Cedefop’s draft budget for 2011 is in fact ten times lower, ie 15.48 million pounds.

Yours faithfully

Jonathan Scheele
Head of Representation in the UK

Suggestions from some papers over the Easter holiday that “EU officials” want to change the name of the English Channel to the “Anglo-French Pond” are as untrue as they are ridiculous. That people writing and quoted in these stories believe that the EU could even consider such a thing demonstrates the poor level of knowledge about both the organisation’s decision-making process and the limits as to what subjects are discussed at EU level.

Sirs,

The figures in your article “EU cost”, 9 August 2009, are wrong.

In 2008 the UK did not pay £16.3 billion in the EU budget, but rather 16.3 billion Euro, of which it got back straight away 6.25 billion Euro under what is known the UK rebate. EU budgets are expressed in Euros, so figures should be converted into pounds before being presented to your readership. This means the UK paid about half the sum quoted in your article – 10.11 billion Euro or roughly £8 billion.

Having said that, it’s far too simplistic and perverse to confine the European Union to a price tag. There are an array of benefits  – recognised and supported by a majority of the British public, according to a recent poll – that are difficult to quantify in cash: such as being part of a market of almost 500 million people, a cleaner and safer environment, …

Britain’s payments to Brussels have rocketed by more than £500 MILLION a year.
(News of the World, 9 August 2009)
New figures reveal we handed over £16.3 BILLION last year – £537 more than the year before”  In 2008 the UK did not pay £16.3 billion in the EU budget, but rather 16.3 billion Euro, of which it got back straight away 6.25 billion Euro under what is known the UK rebate. EU budgets are expressed in Euros, so figures should be converted into pounds. This means that in 2008 the UK paid 10.11 billion Euro or roughly £8 billion.
 

It’s far too simplistic and perverse to confine the European Union to a price tag. There are an array of benefits – recognised and supported by a majority of the British public, according to a recent poll – that are difficult to quantify in cash: such as being part of a market of almost …

EU PENSION GETS DODDERY DISSECTION

EU officials retire at 50… and you pay for it
TAXPAYERS in Britain are having to fund a new Brussels gravy train which will see unelected Eurocrats retiring on massive pensions at 50. Under the crazy plan they will be able to leave on 65 per cent of their salaries – or up to £6,000 a month. Those who hang on until they are 55 can retire on a full salary… Shadow Foreign Secretary Liam Fox said taxpayers would be “appalled” at having to pay for this “Euro gravy train”. As Britain puts more into the EU than it takes out, it will be one of the small number of nations having to bear the brunt of the scheme. Under a European statute, officials older than 45 on May 1, 2004, or those who have been in office 20 years can opt to take early retirement 50. …