According to a document from the Commission’s Office for administration and payment of individual entitlements (PMO), recently published in the Dutch RTL website and in the EUobserver, the European Commissioners’ mission expenses (travel expenses), during 2009, have cost the EU’s taxpayers over €3.5 million. Taxpayers also paid €355,338 in receptions and representation costs for the European Commissioners.
Let’s take a look at the European Commission President’s expenses. Last year, Mr Barroso 56 missions in the EU cost taxpayers €478.793 and his 10 missions outside the EU €218.979. In 2009, Mr Barroso's travel and representation expenses have cost €730.230. Bearing in mind his salary of €24.422.80 per month, residence allowance of €3 660 and a monthly entertainment allowance of €1418.07, Barroso has cost EU taxpayers, in 2009, over €1.0 million.
But Barroso is not the only one spending taxpayer’s money travelling around the world. For instances, the travel and representation expenses of the former Enterprise and Industry Commissioner, Mr Verheugen, amounted to €129.995. Being a vice president of the Commission he earned €22.122.10 and he was also entitled to a residence allowance of 15% of his salary as well as to a monthly entertainment allowance of €911.38.
The mission and representation expenses amounted to between €14.55 (Former Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, Ms Grybauskaite) and €434.257 (Former External Relations Commissioner, Benita Ferrerro Waldner). Mr Piebalds, former energy Commissioner, was on 63 missions which cost taxpayer’s €225.111 and his representation’s expenses amounted to €12.205. Moreover, he earned €19.909.89 per month and he was also entitled to a residence allowance of 15% of his salary as well as to a monthly entertainment allowance of €607.
