Eurosceptics seek to exploit affair

The European Commission's accounting system, which deals with more than over €80bn annually, has been described as insecure and unreliable by Martha Andreason.

As a result of her allegations, an internal audit was conducted by the Luxembourg-based audit service in February of this year. It made serious criticisms of the system being used by the commission for not upholding basic principles of double-entry accounting.

Ms Andreason was suspended in May by the EU’s Administration Commissioner - the former British Labour leader, Neil Kinnock - for making unsubstantiated allegations involving senior colleagues. The commission has published a detailed document refuting her criticisms.