International

The European Parliament votes today on the approval of European police academy CEPOL's books. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong intends to vote against approval, citing the misuse of EU moneys by the institution. 'The police academy has not kept its accounts in good order in any of the last four years. I don't agree that they should be given another four years to get it right, which is what approval would mean.'

In 2008 the European Court of Auditors, the official EU body charged with verifying the academy's accounts, found evidence of misuse of public funds, including the purchase of furniture and cars for the private use of staff and telephone, travel and accommodation costs which could not be justified. The problems were so serious that the then director of the academy resigned.

In the view of Dennis de Jong it is impossible to accept that CEPOL, which was established as an agency in 2006, has been unable to put its financial affairs in order in four years and that it clearly believes that it needs four further years to do so. That's why he will be voting against the closure of the accounts, a means of demanding that the situation is corrected within twelve months. "This concerns public money and so must be taken very seriously," he says. "It can't be permitted that the EU imposes strict budgetary measures on member states, but allows its own agencies to fail to keep their accounts in good order."