By Nicola Smith - 21st April 2004
Top EU judges and auditors will be told on Wednesday to stop misusing taxpayers' money or face budget cuts.
MEPs will vote today on whether to withhold money from the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice and Court of Auditors over a dispute about alleged abuse of the institutions' pay and perks regime.
In its annual check of EU budget spending, the European Parliament has slammed the courts for salary advantages that allow staff to top up their pay by transferring part of it to a national bank account.
MEPs have also criticised a perks system that awards members of these institutions a mileage allowance of up to 40,000 km a year with no need to produce evidence that this travel is related to work.
"It is shocking that the very institution which audits how we spend our money should be perpetuating this type of behaviour. Ultimately, the EU taxpayer could be subsidising their holidays," said UK Labour MEP Eluned Morgan.
The parliament is expected today to decide to withhold part of the courts' administrative budgets in 2005 unless they fall into line.
But with the pressure of the June European elections mounting, many MEPs are keen to make every effort to shake off the parliament's own 'gravy train' image too.
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