EU and member states must account for our taxes

2.00.00pm GMT Thu 15th Nov 2007

London Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has called on member states of the European Union as well as the European Commission to explain in detail how they are going to clean up the EU accounts. She said:

"This is the 13th year in which the Court of Auditors has failed to give a green light to the EU's total spending. The European Commission and the national governments continue to practice unacceptably shoddy accounting procedures."

"Given how negative this is for the image of the EU, a major effort should be expected to secure a clean bill of health over the way taxpayers' money is being spent."

"While the European Commission cannot escape blame, the national governments are cynically hoping that the 'Brussels bureaucrats will get all the flak. But since the vast majority of EU spending is in Member States, they must take responsibility too."

"Is Alistair Darling going to do what Gordon Brown refused, to sign a certificate of sound management? If not, what is he hiding?"