EU: Balancing the Books

So, once again the accounts of the European Union have not been signed off. That's an organisation with a budget of £116 billion that can't get its' accounts signed off. The mind boggles; it really does. And this feeling becomes even more intense when you realise that this is the 14th consecutive year when the accounts haven't been signed off and they are unlikely to be signed off until 2020!

Any other organisation that wasn't able to get the accounts signed off for 14 years would be forced out of existence and those running it would be prosecuted. Not with the EU, though. They get to merrily continue doing what they are a-doing. Helps when you can both make the law and ignore the law, doesn't it?

Even for the most ardent Europhile must concede that the complete failure of the EU to get their accounts signed off is deeply worrying. What does it say about the capability of the institution, given it cannot get the books to balance? And what does it say about this bureaucratic behemoth given the organisation does not seem to care about this glaring problem? Scrutiny, accountability, value for money, fit for purpose - all these ideas have nothing in common with the EU.

Effectively, this is £116 billion taken from the people of the EU, and the money cannot be accounted for.

Why aren't people across the EU screaming about this?