VAL GIBBONS of Seymour Drive, Dartmouth, writes:

With the EU's accounts never having been signed off, Cecile Malmstroem, European Home Affairs Commissioner, set up a report to establish just how EU citizens are affected to a greater or lesser degree.

Those results were mentioned on the BBC's red button – World News and Business News – and I watched the evening news to hear the full report details. Not a word!

Michael Gove and his plans for education changes were given great coverage but for enlightenment on the EU's rotten foundation, a search of the internet was called for. After continued criticism of its blinkered support for Brussels, BBC television bosses still refuse to give the viewers the truth.

For those who know nothing of the article, it was entitled: Corruption across the EU 'Breathtaking'. It added: 'The extent of corruption in Europe is breathtaking and it costs the EU economy at least 120bn euro's (£99bn) annually, the EU Commission says.'

Ms Malmstroem claimed that the true problem was probably much higher than 120bn. Three-quarters of Europeans surveyed for the commission's study said corruption was widespread, and more than half claimed it was increasing.

Bribery is commonplace and the fight against corruption is being undertaken chiefly by national governments rather than by the EU itself.

Although very few in the UK had personal knowledge of bribery, the majority of those in Spain, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria claimed to having been personally affected. All EU countries were suffering to varying degrees, as indicated on a map.

Ms Malstroem noted that corruption was eroding trust in democracy and draining resources from the local economy, and she complained that 'the political commitment to really rule out corruption seems to be missing'. I wonder how long this lady's job will last.