How EU blows £536m on propaganda

THE European Union spends at least half a billion pounds on publicity and ‘communications’, a report revealed last night.

The ‘staggering’ figure is the total it spends on promoting both the EU itself and its ‘political priorities’, according to a Eurosceptic campaign group.

Business For Britain accused the EU of throwing away money on the propaganda. In addition to the £53 million directly set aside for PR purposes, an unspecified share of separate budgets totalling £3.1billion is also available for EU ‘self promotion’, the report claims. This total has increased by 0 per cent in seven years. Business for Britain estimates the UK’s share is £357million.

The campaign group also accused the EU of ‘indoctrinating’ children with spending on cartoon strips, games and colouring books that promote the union.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Business For Britain, said: ‘With UK taxpayers contributing more and more to the EU budget, it is staggering that the European institutions are throwing away our hard- earned money on propaganda promoting the European project.’

The comic books and colouring books criticised in the report can be requested by schools. Children can learn about the Common Agricultural Policy and the free movement rules that allow EU migrants to come to Britain. In one comic, called On The Road To Victory, students take a trip across Europe ‘inspired by the EU budget’.

The report also accused the EU of funding non-governmental organisations that promote ‘ever closer union’ with more than £10million last year.