In its report on the 2008 EU budget, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has refused to sign off on how the money from the EU’s 2008 budget had been spent. While saying that the overall situation is improving, the Court noted that a number of spending areas in the budget are still “materially affected by errors”.

The European Court of Auditors will today publish its annual report on the EU’s accounts. As in previous years, the Auditors are expected to highlight widespread problems with fraud and mismanagement in the EU’s spending programmes. The News of the World reported on Open Europe’s briefing published yesterday detailing 100 examples of misuse of EU money.

New Open Europe report: Cost of EU agencies has tripled since 2005 and is set to reach £2.1 billion in 2011 A new Open Europe report released yesterday reveals that the cost of EU agencies and committees has tripled since 2005 and, according to the European Commission’s proposed budget, is set to reach £2.

Open Europe’s ranking of all 785 MEPs continues to receive coverage. Open Europe’s Research Director Mats Persson appeared on CNBC’s Europe Tonight show, discussing the findings of the report. The ranking was also mentioned on this morning’s BBC Breakfast Show, in the Scotsman, and several other European and regional newspapers.

Open Europe’s new report on the EU’s climate change and energy package, expected to cost £9bn a year and push one million more people into fuel poverty, is covered in the Telegraph and on carbon industry website Point Carbon. Open Europe’s Hugo Robinson is quoted arguing that “we will pay far more than necessary in fighting climate change; or put another way, we could...

The Sunday Express reported on Open Europe’s new report – “How the EU is watching you – the rise of Europe’s surveillance state”, published today, which argues that when the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, the EU will be able to accelerate a raft of controversial new proposals which are set to radically increase the EU’s role in policing, criminal and security ...

Open Europe’s report on the EU’s AIFM Directive continues to receive coverage. The report, published yesterday, found that the hedge fund and private equity industry contributed €9 billion in tax revenues to EU governments in 2008, and that the proposed Directive would cost EU-based firms in the two industries between €1.

A new report from Open Europe has found that 170,000 people are needed to run the EU, as opposed to the 32,000 that the EU Commission claims. Open Europe analyst Nick Cosgrove was quoted by the Telegraph, Mail and De Telegraaf as saying, "The Commission desperately tries to play down just how many people are now working for the EU.

Open Europe reports on comments by europlastic George Eustice MP. Writing in the Western Morning News, Camborne and Redruth MP George Eustice cites findings from Open Europe’s new report on EU structural funds, which found that if regional policy were devolved back to the UK government, Cornwall could receive an extra £207 million in funding over the next seven years. He argues that &l...

Open Europe has published a new report setting out how the Coalition could, during the lifetime of this Parliament, use a one-off opportunity to unilaterally repatriate up to 130 EU laws on crime and policing, including controversial measures such as the European Arrest Warrant.