Forget Brexit, what kind of EU did Remain MPs vote to Remain in?

Are they happy to make you pay an extra £1.2 bn for another “Off-Budget” EU Fund?

Brexit Facts4EU.Org challenges Remain MPs to defend their EU

Here we give one example of another “off-budget” EU Fund that Remain MPs probably aren’t even aware of, but must justify.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org has published detailed research on the EU for years. A small part of this research has involved “off-budget” EU funds, set up to disguise the true costs of EU membership, and to get around the treaties.

£1.2 billion extra for the EU, under EU plans

One small part of the EU Commission’s plans involves the creation of yet another “off-budget” EU Fund. It comes in at a cool €10.5 billion euros. As one of the largest contributors to the EU, this would mean around £1.2 billion extra pounds for the UK taxpayer to find. And this sum will never appear in the Treasury’s official declarations of “the UK’s net contributions to the EU”, because it does not form part of the official EU budget.

As with so many EU projects, this new fund has been given an innocuous-sounding name: “The European Peace Facility” (EPF). In reality this is about building up the EU’s military forces under the EU Defence Union.

Here is what the EU says about this new “Off-Budget” Fund

“By proposing a new European Peace Facility (EPF) the European Union is taking another step towards cementing its role as a global actor.
“The EPF is a proposal by the High Representative [currently Italian former Communist Federica Mogherini] to set up a new off-budget fund, a fund outside of the Union’s multi-annual budget, worth €10.5 billion.
“It will enable the financing of operational actions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) that have military or defence implications. It will draw together existing off-budget mechanisms, namely the Athena mechanism or the African Peace Facility, devoted to security and defence, overcoming their gaps and limitations.”
- EPD document from European External Action Service, EU Commission, accessed 04 August 2019

This EU Fund is not permitted under the Treaties

The reason this EU Fund has to be “off-budget” is because its purposes lie outside those permitted to the EU by the Treaties.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

To quote the EU itself, this fund
“cannot be financed under the Union’s budget because of its operational military or defence implications”.

Observations

This will be a new “off-budget” EU Fund. The Commission proposes that member states start contributing to it in the next financial period which starts on 01 Jan 2021. It is likely to be approved in the coming months.

In case Remain MPs really are concerned about the rule of law and the sanctity of the Treaties, they may wish to ask themselves why this huge new EU fund has to be off the books. And if Remain MPs doubt us and wish to look this up, they should try Art. 41.2 TEU.

This is just the tip of the EU iceberg

Importantly this is just one new off-the-books EU fund. Several others already exist. They involve tens of billions of pounds and the British taxpayer has been subsidising them for years. If Remain MPs are unaware of these funds they are welcome to contact us for details.

Here we have yet another one. The UK will have to pay into it if it remains a member of the EU and it involves the EU’s aspirations to become a military power. It will cost the British taxpayer an extra £1.2 billion pounds.

We will leave Remain MPs with one thought :

“No-one voted Remain to become poorer.”

Members of our team worked through Saturday night and Sunday morning to bring you this article. If you think our work is useful to the cause of Brexit, please circulate it widely. Please also consider making a donation, as we can't keep going without you. Quick and secure donation methods are below. Thank you.

[ Sources: EEAS - EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sun 04 Aug 2019

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Reader Comments 7

1. Tom N, Dartmouth , Sunday, August 04, 2019, 05:47:

I really wish my workplace had some "Off-Budget" funds. What a genius idea! I could then turn up every morning with a different fund application. For example one day I might need “The Family Peace Facility” fund, to buy expensive toys for my children to keep them happy. Or “The Personal Defence Facility” fund for the occasional visits of my in-laws.

2. Sydney Ashurst , Sunday, August 04, 2019, 08:03:

The best the Telegraphs Brussels Correspondents can come up with is to have a sly poke at the Brexit Party MEP's. Although the Liberal Democrat MEP ended up unwittingly suggesting we are poor because all our money goes to Brussels.
British taxpayers are forking out millions of pounds so that MEPs can drink from sparkling water fountains, be driven around by chauffeur and sit in £220 memory foam chairs.
This is chicken feed compared with what you reveal as the true cost of membership of this undemocratic organisation. The French will get all the money for policing their ex-colonies.

3. Enryte, Suffolk , Sunday, August 04, 2019, 08:03:

In the "biggest ad campaign since WWII", I hope Boris Johnson doesn't miss the opportunity to demonstrate that aside from the issue of democracy, we're leaving the EU because Brussels is deliberately squeezing us dry - a nation in debt is malleable. I have never been able to grasp even the essence of a case to remain.

4. Catherine, Dollar , Sunday, August 04, 2019, 10:55:

"The reason this EU Fund has to be “off-budget” is because its purposes lie outside those permitted to the EU by the Treaties." This is a KEY point. The EU leaders - the Commission executive - are determined to do what they want, regardless of whether it forms part of the agreed purpose of the EEC now the EU. Unelected decision-makers. Unaccountable.

5. Adam Hiley , Sunday, August 04, 2019, 14:42:

the Remain camp has never convinced Me on why We should remain in this Outfit lets leave now not October 31st if Boris is serious about being a Serious Statesman call an election leave now defeat Corbyn & the Remainers He has the potential to be a Great Leader like Winston Churchill & Margaret Thatcher when they were in charge no one messed with us or took advantage of Britain from John Major to Theresa May all Premiers since 1991 (Major) have been tedious

6. Zerren Yeoville , Sunday, August 04, 2019, 18:33:

Meanwhile, the following interesting little paragraph was buried deep in an article in last weekend's 'Sunday Times' instead of being the headline news on every paper and broadcast bulletin:
'Civil servants have also told the leaders of the hardline Brexiteers that the EU is holding back a tax demand for VAT on derivatives trades which could amount to a trillion pounds owed to Brussels, a demand they believe would be issued when Britain is "defenceless" in an implementation period. "We can't allow ourselves to be locked in," one MP said.' - from an article by Tim Shipman, Sunday Times, 28 July 2019, page 6.
Add that potential trillion quid to the four hundred billion worth of bailouts the recent 'Global Britain' report told us the UK would potentially be on the hook for in the event of another Eurozone financial crisis ... and it becomes ever more clear that there is NO conceivable negative consequence of a Clean Break / #GoWTO / so-called 'No-Deal' Brexit which is REMOTELY comparable to the absolute financial devastation and economic destruction which the EU27 would eagerly visit upon the UK if it is somehow browbeaten into either Remaining or signing up to May's putrid trap of a 'Withdrawal Agreement.'

7. Pauline Baxter , Tuesday, August 06, 2019, 20:12:

I almost agree with Adam Hiley about Boris having the potential to be a great leader. Adam I've been thinking of Winston Churchill and Maggie. You've dared say it. He has charisma - oomph and we certainly need it. He should let us 'crash out' (having cleared up what he can of May + Hammond's lack of preparation for no deal) then go to the country in his own time.

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