The European Commission’s unending quest to ever expand Brussels’ control and power, with no regard to cost or need, is well illustrated by a current proposal to vastly expand a programme going under the title, “promoting active European citizenship”. 

This programme was launched for 3 years at the start of 2004.  In consequence of misgivings, not least by the UK, the Commission gave an undertaking that an external evaluation of the worth of the programme would be produced if there was a proposal to extend it beyond 2006. Now just such a proposal has been made, but the assurance of an external evaluation has been breached. 

Brussels now wants to greatly expand the programme and extend it to 2013.  Its overtly political purpose, which dovetails with the attempts to foist an EU Constitution upon us, is clear from its two key objectives of “forming an ever closer Europe” and “forging a European identity”.

In order to bring some accountability to the Commission’s actions, I have tabled the Questions below in the European Parliament for answer by the Commission.

I also welcome the fact that the European Scrutiny Committee of the House of Commons has declared itself unhappy with these developments and has called for answers from the Government.

Subject: Promotion of “active European citizenship”

In connection with the proposal to enhance and extend the current European citizenship programme beyond its initial expiry date of 31 December 2006, is it correct that the Commission gave an assurance to the UK Government that an external evaluation, including ‘value for money’, would be produced alongside any proposal to renew the programme after 2006?  If so, has that evaluation been produced and if not, why not?  How can the Commission justify proposing a greatly expanded programme without producing an evaluation of the existing one and without evidence concerning the effectiveness of the expenditure proposed?

Subject: Legal basis for proposed expansion of “active European citizenship”

In light of the limitation of Article 308 of the EC Treaty to measures related to “the operation of the common market”, what legal basis is relied upon to justify the current proposal to enhance and extend the current European citizenship programme beyond its initial expiry date of 31 December 2006?