BRUSSELS: Brussels bureaucrats were accused last night of squandering more than £1billion of taxpayers’ cash on television programmes over the next five years.
A report disclosed that more than 50 EU grants were handed out to media production companies making documentaries, films and even cartoons – including some with a slant that promoted the work of the EU.
Projects funded by the Creative Europe initiative, backed by the European Commission, included a film about a climate change activist and an animated series about alien squirrels.
Money from the project helped develop a controversial BBC drama about what life could be like in Britain if the country quits the EU.
The lavish spending was exposed in a report from the Taxpayers’ Alliance pressure group last night.
Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the alliance, said: “Another day, another prime piece of evidence that Brussels bureaucrats simply do not understand the value of taxpayers’ money.