European Union 'employs more staff than the British Army', lobby group claims

Open Europe says Brussels' payroll is bigger than the British Army's 107,000 'regular' personnel.

Eurocrats like to quote official figures of 20,000 to 30,000 Brussels-based civil servants when asked how many staff the union employs.

Large payroll: A report claims the European Union employs 170,000 staff

But when those working across Europe and EU-linked agencies are taken into account, the total is actually seven times higher, Open Europe claims.

The report's authors say: ' Figures cited by the European Commission are misleading.'

They say the figures refer only to Commission civil servants - those working for the executive arm of the EU - and neglect 'to acknowledge the thousands of other officials who work in other institutions, agencies and committees to help make the EU function'.

In information distributed to the general public, the Commission usually states it employs between 20,000 and 30,000.

Open Europe includes staff based outside the EU responsible for implementing EU legislation.

'The Commission desperately tries to play down just how many people are now working for the EU,' said Open Europe analyst Nick Cosgrove.

'They are extremely secretive about the number of people who are working to churn out regulations.'