Commission marches on its stomach

Date: 21/03/1996

The Commission's canteens, restaurants and bars moved nearly 20 million ecu worth of food and drink across their counters last year, according to figures provided for MEPs anxious to know what level of subsidy the EU budget is providing to keep the catering operation afloat.

The answer is 18&percent; - the total cost of keeping Commission staff fed and watered was nearly 24.5 million ecu in 1995.

The figures reveal that a very small price rise of a few francs on a cup of coffee would make all the difference, although far be it from Entre Nous to suggest that Commission staff could easily afford it.

With this, catering would break even and ease the strain on the budget, although one insider commented: “The total cost is in any case peanuts, which are very competitively priced at all Commission outlets thanks to this subsidy.”