The EU Parliament refused a request from a group of investigative journalists to reveal what MEP’s allowances, which average around 100 million euro in EU taxpayers money every year, are spent on and now the EU Court of Justice has backed this code of secrecy Politico.eu reports.
The push back against transparency from the EU comes three years after the initial requests were made and the journalists asked the bloc’s Court of Justice to examine the legality of the parliaments deafening silence surrounding the use of tax payer money.
Transparency International’s Brussels office has said the ruling is “hugely disappointing”.
MEP’s are paid €8,611.31 per month, plus €4,416 monthly “general expenditure allowance” and can receive up to €206,664 when they leave parliament. They also enjoy €313 daily allowance for hotel and living costs when working in Brussels and Strasbourg and are refunded any and all travel expenses The Guardian reports.