eurealist.co.uk

Not a Penny more not a Penny Less

As noted yesterday the Government in Westminster has told the Government in Brussels not to spend a single penny on EU propaganda in Britian, OK as they say it is only keeping us informed! but the EU is spending an inordinate amount of money already to keep us informed this has been highlighted several times yet the money just keeps pouring in.

A recent investigation by The Times
shows that the European Commission has been funding a series of seminars, leafleting campaigns, theatre activities and “celebration days” about the European constitution across schools, libraries, think-tanks, local government and pro-European pressure groups around Britain. So it is already spending large sums promoting the constitution, and has insisted that it will still fund general “information” campaigns about the EU in Britain. The Commission will also continue spending more than €1 million a year on pan-European federalist campaign groups and think-tanks that have members in Britain or influence debate here.

It gave 10,551 to Hull University to raise awareness and understanding of the constitution, and 25,000 to Liverpool Hope University College, to help school pupils and students to find out about the constitution.

It gave the Foreign Policy Centre 38,318 for a conference on the constitution last July, and 48,601 to the Institute for Citizenship in London to hold a series of seminars on it.

Grants to public authorities include 27,291 to Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, to pay for a conference called Europe Alive with Opportunity.

It also paid 18,233 to Europaworld, a non-profit company in Wales, to set up a website to educate people about the constitution and send information to secondary schools.

The Federal Trust, a British think-tank, was paid 42,005 to promote the enlargement of the EU, including the production of 100,000 information cards. Its advisory board includes Andrew Adonis, Tony Blair policy adviser.

The European Commission promised not to spend money promoting the constitution, but insisted that it would still spend money providing information about the EU. A spokesman said: We have every right and obligation to promote information about our activities, and we will continue doing that. We are not going to shy away from our duty.

The Commission will continue to fund the Europe Direct Information Network in Britain, which costs 840,000 a year, to raise local and regional awareness of the Unions policies and programmes.

And it will continue the Spring Day for Europe to celebrate the constitution in British schools.

It will also continue spending more than  million a year on a network of think-tanks and pressure groups that promote further European integration, including the International European Movement, the Union of European Federalists, Friends of Europe, Young European Federalists, the Centre for European Policy Studies and the European Policy Centre. They are all based in mainland Europe, but most have member organisations in Britain.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION GRANTS TO BRITISH ORGANISATIONS TO PROMOTE EU
ALL SUMS QUOTED IN EUROS
Europe Direct Information Network 840,000, Federal Trust 42,005, Europaworld Ltd 18,233,Foreign Policy Centre 38,318, Institute for Citizenship 48,601, Edinburgh City Council 93,734, Chapter Arts Theatre, Cardiff 65,000, Liverpool Hope University College 25,000, University of Hull 10,551, Northamptonshire County Council 32,689, Croydon Council 55,683, Yorkshire Forward 27,291,

COMMISSION GRANTS TO PAN-EUROPEAN ORGANISATIONS
International European Movement 450,000, Union of European Federalists 120,000, Friends of Europe 100,000, Young European Federalists 35,000, Festival of Europe (May 9) 155,000, Centre for European Policy Studies 150,000, European Policy Centre 150,000,

And this is just the tip of the iceberg consider the Monnet centres of excellence
University of Wales, Aberystwyth, University of Sussex, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Manchester, Loughborough University, University of London, London School of Economics, University of Liverpool, University of Leeds, University of Kent, University of Hull, University of Glasgow, University of Essex, University of Cambridge, University of Birmingham, University of Bath.

So when we hear that Professor so and so has written a report that shows this or that about the EU, then we had best check to see if that professor is funded by the EU.

Those who are so keen to point out that some people are not objective because they have a vested interest suddenly fail to see the same applies when it comes to EU funding, almost as if magically EU money for your pet project or even your pension, means that you are still capable of independent and fair assessments, whereas funding that is independent of the EU has the opposite affect.

Oh yes we must not forget the BBC.