[OpenSpending] EU Commission refuses to publish Commissioners' expenses - what about your government?

[Pam Bartlett Quintanilla]

Dear colleagues,

In May, Access Info asked the European Commission for the salaries, 
travel costs, travel expenses and other expenses of the EU Commissioners 
and of then-Commission President Barroso.

In response we got the following answer:

_Travel (official mission) expenses, All Commissioners and Commission 
President_

2012: 3.400.006,36€
2013: 3.389.334,35€

_Representation expenses, All Commissioners and Commission President_
2012: 471.076,99 €
2013: 334.419,07 €

Of course we appealed, and in August, we managed to get a sum per 
Commissioner, but absolutely no break-down or details, in order to 
protect personal data. You can see the response here (as well as the 
full chain of correspondence) 
<http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/commissioners_expenses_2012_and_2#incoming-5228>.

We are now planning to complain to the European Ombudsman but for this 
we need comparative data, and particularly, examples of transparent 
practicein this area, especially from EU Member States, if possible. So 
I have some questions for you:

_*Questions for OpenSpending list members*_

a) Are Ministers' (or Heads of State) salaries published in your 
country? Is this required by law? Can you see each individual's salary 
or only salary grades? What level of officials publish their salaries? 
(Please send a link to a pay slip if they are published in your countries)

b) Are actual expenses made public or only entitlements? Is this 
published proactively or only upon request? Can you see actual expenses 
claims and/or receipts? (Please send a link to an example if the answer 
is yes!)
Is this obliged by law? (whether it be a FOI law or an anti-corruption 
law, etc)

c) In case you know, where is the line drawn between privacy and 
transparency when it comes to public officials' spending? Do you have 
jurisprudence on this? How far down the political chain does 
transparency go in your countries?

Many thanks in advance.

With best wishes,

Pam

PS. *If you also want to call for more transparency in the spending of 
Commissioner expenses, click on "I also want to know" at this link*: 
http://blog.asktheeu.org/2014/08/join-the-campaign-to-make-eu-commissioner-expenses-transparent/ 

If you are tech-savy and want to embed a widget for this request in your 
website to help us gather clicks on "I also want to know", you can copy 
the code <http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/1338/widget/create> at the 
bottom of the page.


-- 
Pamela Bartlett Quintanilla
Researcher and Campaigner
Access Info Europe | www.AsktheEU.org
Cava San Miguel 8 4C, Madrid, Spain
Phone: +34 91 365 6558
Mobile: +34 699 354 215
Twitter: @PamBQ


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