EU officials defend scheme offering free Viagra pills to staff

By Tim Ross EU OFFICIALS yesterday defended a scheme which offers staff a free monthly supply of the anti-impotence drug Viagra.

MEPs and officials working for the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament can now reclaim the full cost of up to six Viagra pills every month, a spokesman for the commission said. But he stressed that the scheme was only available to individuals who have suffered erectile dysfunction through serious illness like cancer or diabetes.

“It can apply to officials in all the EU institutions but the reimbursement is only available when the impotence is linked to severe ill health - in cases like prostate cancer and severe diabetes.”