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by Basil a. Coronakis (Author)
What is the European Commission? It is the most sophisticated and the least transparent administrative machine in the world. It is serf-reproducing, with tax-free salaries beyond fantasy, unaccountable and with discretionary powers to violate rules and laws at will. This is the European Commission, which without any political legitimization, rules over you and over another half billion Europeans, with your money. The Department of Propaganda of the Commission, officially known as the Directorate General of Communication and Spokesperson Service (DG COM), is its black hole. It spends billions and, under the pretext of data protection, nobody knows how it does. Not even the European Parliament, let alone the Member States. Here's just one example. In mid-December, any December of any year, DG COM signs a contract to buy subscriptions worth 57,000. As the amount is below the 60,000 level, no tender is required. If a citizen asks for the contract (Regulation 1049/2001), the Commission will release the name of the beneficiary and the total amount. Yet, claiming "protection of commercial secrets", it will not disclose the duration of the contract. Why? Because the 57,000 of the contract corresponds to subscription services for the last two weeks of the year. Subscription contracts are always stipulated on a calendar year basis. In the following years, the contract will be renewed (or not, depending on the behavior of the beneficiary) every January, for the entire year (52 weeks). Although the total amount ( 1,482,000) exceeds by far the threshold of 60,000 requiring a tender procedure to be launched, there will be no tender. Indeed, it will be only a contract renewal not requiring any tender.
