300 people a year are invalided (on 70% final salary pensions) out of the European Commission due to psychological complaints according to the Court of Auditors and comments in the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee yesterday.

According to the most recent CoA report on the subject (2003); “Psychological disorders account for approximately half the medical causes of invalidity.” According to the Committee comments well over 50% of these are clinically depressed. Which really shouldn't suprise us I suppose.

The amount of money being spent on their pensions however might be “About 62 million euros a year.”

The problem is that such disorders are notoriously difficult to prove and as such are an open door to fraud. Of course if one was to claim that they in fact were fraudulent then no doubt the Commission would wheel out some axe wielding psychopath. But you have to remember that every time we have a whistleblower they are accused of psychological problems.