Monday, September 08, 2008

Another scandal beckons

It appears that we might be in for a bumper week. First the Sunday Times magisterially skewers the Trade DG through its Insight team.

Now I am hearing of a new scandal. This time to do with the Humanitarian Aid budget. No details are available yet, but MEPs on the Budgetary Control Committee have been invited to apply to view a document in the infamous secret reading room of the Parliament. The document must be read on the following conditions.
SOLEMN DECLARATION
I, the undersigned Mrs/Mr. …………………………………………………
declare on my honour that I have taken cognisance of the rules governing consultation of confidential documents as set out in Annex 1, point 3, of the Framework Agreement on Relations between the Parliament and Commission of 26 May 2005 and
the Bureau decision of 13 November 2006, and I undertake to respect those rules, in particular as regards the ban on disseminating the confidential information examined today.

Lieu et date : ……………………………
Signature : ……………………………

When I have more you will have it.

Update
No movement at all it seems.

Here is my analysis.

They have invited MEPs to apply for a time slot in the secret room - tomorrow they are on an away day to the Luxumbourg based Court of Auditors for their annual visit. Budgetary Control (CONT) Committee is meeting now, they will not open the room during the Committee meeting. So it is feasible that the room will only be open on Wednesday - in order that they do not read the report until AFTER they have been to Luxembourg.

It would be like them don't you think?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is the secret room full of things that are to be kept secret from the Court of Auditors?

Surely not!

Gawain Towler said...

It couldn't possiobly happen, could it?

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