EU fines Britain more than £150 million for not displaying EU propaganda

http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-n...-flag-breaches
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-projects.html

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Brussels has fined Britain more than £150million for failing to display the EU flag on a string of projects part-funded by Europe. Several schemes were also penalised for failing to use the flag on their letterheads. The fines relate to £3.8billion given to the UK by the European Regional Development Fund over a seven-year period. The fund has contributed to dozens of projects including the Eden Project, in Cornwall, the Millennium Bridge, in Gateshead, and the redevelopment of Liverpool’s King’s Dock. Funding from the ERDF usually has to be matched pound for pound by Government cash. Britain is a net contributor to the EU budget and critics have long complained that ERDF funding is essentially recycled taxpayers’ money. This year the UK will contribute £6.4billion more to Brussels than it receives back.

UK Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage called the fines an ‘outrage’.

He said: ‘The ERDF is using British taxpayers’ money to tell us what a great job the EU is doing. It is a rotten deal for Britain – and in return we have to plaster the country in horrible blue flags.’ Communities Secretary Eric Pickles condemned the ‘over-bureaucratic rules’ surrounding ERDF money. He said he would be pressing the European Commission to cut back on ‘needless bureaucracy’. The ERDF lays down strict rules on the display of the EU flag. Any project accepting cash has to display the flag on a permanent plaque in a prominent position.

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I expect most of you have seen these blue flag facades around building sites/redevelopment sites a number of times and the EU likes to make you think it is the one paying for all these projects when really its not - well in real terms what it means is this; I give you £10.00 of my money to spend on myself, you take over £5.00 and keep it for yourself and spend the remainder on me - on the back of my gift you print your logo along with 'this gift was funded by me [yourself].

It really is like that and its real life, utterly crazy. The simple solution though is to do what the French do, which is to ignore it.

Thoughts, should Britain pay this fine or refuse to pay?

this is a euromyth thought up by the mail and or ukip, as the only other newspaper covering this is the telegraph, who quotes the mail as being the source for the article and continues to say the EU have denied it.

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Originally Posted by alexxxxx

this is a euromyth thought up by the mail and or ukip, as the only other newspaper covering this is the telegraph, who quotes the mail as being the source for the article and continues to say the EU have denied it.

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The European Union isnt going to tell us now is it so lets be reasonable.. & nor are the BBC (funded by the EU). Of course it has fined us, it wants to make us all think that the EU flag is our flag and that somehow the EU funds us when really its the other way around, the UK FUNDS THE EU.

It seems nowadays that federalists like yourself dont even want to talk about it, its much easier and simpler to just outright deny any wrongdoing from the beloved European Union - whats even more comical about the situation is that we are being fined by an organisation whos accounts havent been signed off for over a decade with billions suspected missing!

The government minister Eric Pickles has commented on this, it is genuine even if the EU and its numerous bodies might not like to admit it. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/ar...lutes-get.html

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Originally Posted by -:Undertaker:-

The European Union isnt going to tell us now is it so lets be reasonable.. & nor are the BBC (funded by the EU). Of course it has fined us, it wants to make us all think that the EU flag is our flag and that somehow the EU funds us when really its the other way around, the UK FUNDS THE EU.

It seems nowadays that federalists like yourself dont even want to talk about it, its much easier and simpler to just outright deny any wrongdoing from the beloved European Union - whats even more comical about the situation is that we are being fined by an organisation whos accounts havent been signed off for over a decade with billions suspected missing!

The government minister Eric Pickles has commented on this, it is genuine even if the EU and its numerous bodies might not like to admit it.

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

please. it's a lie. can you not do any sort of investigation. the mail is the source for both UKIP's and the telegraph's stories about this which itself does not quote any sources. the telegraph says the eu have denied it. it's a lie. you're being lied to.

and eric pickles hasnt commented on this in particular (they are very careful when writing the story) they just say he's complained about the complexity of the ERDF.

Give me a decent source at least.

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Originally Posted by alexxxxx

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

please. it's a lie. can you not do any sort of investigation. the mail is the source for both UKIP's and the telegraph's stories about this which itself does not quote any sources. the telegraph says the eu have denied it. it's a lie. you're being lied to.

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The EU have denied it? - of course they will!

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Originally Posted by xxMATTGxx

Give me a decent source at least.

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Eric Pickles (government minister) has commented on the development council, it is true.

I don't think you can reasonably blame the EU. If that was a condition of them helping toward the redevelopment, at risk of a fine, and we didn't do it, then we should pay the fine. It's the fault of those who carried out the project or had responsibility to ensure we followed the EU's conditions. I am not saying, if this is true, the EU should have imposed these conditions, but what I am saying you can't really turn this into another "hate EU" thread on the basis that they're doing this. That was the condition, we should have followed it.

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Originally Posted by Nixt

I don't think you can reasonably blame the EU. If that was a condition of them helping toward the redevelopment, at risk of a fine, and we didn't do it, then we should pay the fine. It's the fault of those who carried out the project or had responsibility to ensure we followed the EU's conditions. I am not saying, if this is true, the EU should have imposed these conditions, but what I am saying you can't really turn this into another "hate EU" thread on the basis that they're doing this. That was the condition, we should have followed it.

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The issue is that its propaganda and we are paying for it. The EU in reality doesnt and cannot fund anything in the UK because the UK funds the EU - not the other way around. All these flags, posters, logos, signs are all designed to give the aura that the EU is such a wonderful thing, funding our redevelopment schemes and the rest of it.

The other main issue is that the EU hasnt had its audits signed off in more than a decade, would you give money to a conman on the street? no you wouldnt, so I dont see why the EU is any different. Billions suspected missing, EU President on more than Obama and Cameron - the worlds biggest gravytrain by far funded by yourself and fellow British taxpayer. I guess you could even say you are paying to be lied to.

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Originally Posted by -:Undertaker:-

The EU have denied it? - of course they will!



Eric Pickles (government minister) has commented on the development council, it is true.

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it's really not true and he has only commented on the development NOT on the £150million.

pure rubbish.

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Originally Posted by Nixt

I don't think you can reasonably blame the EU. If that was a condition of them helping toward the redevelopment, at risk of a fine, and we didn't do it, then we should pay the fine. It's the fault of those who carried out the project or had responsibility to ensure we followed the EU's conditions. I am not saying, if this is true, the EU should have imposed these conditions, but what I am saying you can't really turn this into another "hate EU" thread on the basis that they're doing this. That was the condition, we should have followed it.

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This is exactly what I was going to post.

There is a requirement that ‘On billboards and commemorative plaques, the acknowledgment of European Union funding MUST constitute a minimum of 25 per cent of the total area.’ There is also a warning that ‘The European Union logo works best on a white background. However, if it appears on a non-white ground then a white border should be placed around it.’

Break the condition, pay the fine, it's simple as.

Where is the source that Eric Pickles has said its true? Oh there is none :rolleyes:

Btw, look what I found. A great news story saying how great the EU really is: link