EU quangos cost Ireland €25m a year
The cost of European quangos has ballooned, according to the British-based think tank Open Europe, who have tracked a 33% increase in the last two years alone.
The quangos are now costing European taxpayers €2.64bn in total.
Open Europe research analyst Pawel Swidlicki said that the EU’s own quangos wouldn’t survive the austerity drives being imposed across the continent.
“While some of these EU quangos perform valuable work, many others serve no practical purpose whatsoever, apart from soaking up taxpayers’ money.
“Ironically, many of these bodies would never have survived the type of austerity programmes that the EU is now drawing up for member states as Europe fights through its worst crisis in a generation.”
Open Europe identified some European agencies that add very little value and duplicate the work already being carried out by other European bodies.
It identified two EU agencies specifically dedicated to human rights in addition to similar bodies in member states, the Council of Europe, the ECtHR, a specific EU commissioner for “fundamental rights” and a range of NGOs.
Others agencies identified by the think tank have no impact on policy.
“For example, there is no evidence that the €129m a year Economic and Social Committee, an ‘advisory’ body that has existed since the 1950s, has actually altered the outcome of an EU proposal in recent years, and yet it remains in place,” the report said.
Open Europe cites the €300,000 spent on a living map of Europe as an example of the mismanagement of European taxpayers money.
“The European Environment Agency spent €300,000 on a ‘living map’ of Europe, created from 5,000 plants affixed to the outside wall of its headquarters in Copenhagen in order to promote biodiversity.
“The facade stayed up for around five months in 2010. On its website, the EEA said it wanted to “illustrate the significance of vertical gardens.”
The same agency also engaged a consultancy company, at a cost of €250,000 in order to assess its own media coverage.
Open Europe has identified at least 10 agencies that serve no unique purpose and ought to be abolished.
Most of the remaining should be cut by 30%, saving EU member states just over €668m every year.
