SYSTEMIC INERTIA

The EU is investigating a number of apparently less than noble causes:

The European Union's anti-fraud office is investigating 32 charities, non-governmental organisations and aid companies from Britain and nine other states for suspected fraud on a mass scale.

Brussels refused to release the names of the groups under investigation but said the abuses involved "a lot of money".

The inquiry was launched in 2001 but has mushroomed into a "systematic" inquiry after anti-fraud offices from all the major donor states started pooling information last year.

The EU spends €7billion a year on foreign aid, including funds for long-term projects and emergency aid for disasters.

Gee, the EU hasn't exactly moved with lighting speed on this. Wonder if a statute of limitations applies?