By Martin Banks - 26th January 2012
The people behind this escapade claim it will be historically objective
Martin Callanan
Parliament's former president Hans-Gert Pöttering has made a strong defence of the new European House of History.
The museum is designed to showpiece the EU's formation and ideals and will be created in Brussels over the next two years.
But the cost has raised eyebrows, particularly at a time of severe austerity cuts in member states.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, Pottering confirmed that it would cost €52m between now and the centre's opening in 2014.
The museum will be located at the Eastman building, close to parliament, and create the exhibits and facilities.
But critics have said the true cost would exceed €100m when the cost of purchasing the building was included.
Pöttering angrily denied suggestions that the centre's academic board had showed a bias to his own group, the centre-right European People's Party.
Critics have also attacked the "Parliamentarium" visitor centre which trumpets the workings and achievements of parliament and was set-up at an approximate cost of €17m.
The plans for the new museum have been condemned by Conservatives as "a costly insult to people's intelligence".
Martin Callanan, leader of Britain's Conservative MEPs, said, "Not only is it a shocking waste of money in such difficult times, it also looks like blatant propaganda for the federalist view of Europe."
Callanan said: "The House of History will make that look like a sideshow. Spending on this scale is plainly preposterous when national governments are making really tough savings decisions to avoid racking up yet more damaging debt.
Once again the EU shows itself to be entirely immune to economic reality. "The people behind this escapade claim it will be historically objective.
But from their mindset that means objective within a context of European federalism. "All shades of opinion will be reflected, provided they promote the dream of more integration, more Europe, less sovereignty.
"The project has already been roundly condemned when first floated. Yet the supposed brains behind it didn't listen to the advice. Instead they plough on with a plan that amounts to a hugely costly insult to people's intelligence."
Meanwhile, UK MEP Derek Vaughan has called on all EU institutions to freeze their budgets.
On Wednesday, he presented a report to the budgets committee calling for a freeze in administrative expenditure.
As draftsman on the report, he will play a significant role in negotiations which come against a backdrop of restraint by domestic governments.
Vaughan, said, “In difficult economic circumstances all EU institutions should show budgetary discipline and be able to limit their expenditure.”
"A freeze across the board will send a clear signal that the EU understands the wider context within which it operates. It will also act as a necessary incentive to increase cooperation between institutions, modernise and reform working practices and drive forward the search for greater efficiency and value for money."
