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In The Lobby
This weekend saw the EU's annual "Agora" meeting, when 500 representatives of various Brussels-based pressure groups and lobby organisations got together with MEPs to discuss "civil society."
Here's Dan Hannan "You see how the system works? The EU firehoses cash at these organisations to lobby it, they tell it what it wants to hear, and it can then turn around and say that, far from being undemocratic, it is giving a voice to the peoples of Europe. Millions are thereby drawn into the system, their livelihoods depending on the EU. And shall I tell you the best bit? You’re paying for the whole racket."
EURSOC discussed the same story three years ago:
"The European Commission has decided that it should make itself more relevant to Europe's people. Should commissioners send drones all over the continent to ask the population what it should do to reflect the wishes of Europe's inhabitants? No. Should commission decisions be put to a popular vote? Perish the thought.
"No, the European Commission decided to talk to the people by opening dialogues with some of Brussel's numerous "civil society" NGOs, including luminaries like the Young European Federalists, the Federalist Voice, the Active Citizenship Network, the European Network Against Racism and the Polish NGO Office. Yes, Europe's leaders are sure to hear exactly what the man in the street thinks by speaking to the Young European Federalists.
"Their conclusion? That more power should be put in the hands of the European Commission.
"But where do these groups come from? Where on earth does an organisation like the Eurofanatic Federalist Voice get its funding?
"Er, from the European Commission, of course. According to the Economist, the five NGOs above are funded directly or indirectly by the Commission - and so have a vested interest in campaigning for their paymasters to have more power."
Nice to see this scam is still running!
