A carnival float at a parade in Belgium has caused outrage for displaying giant caricatures of Jews sitting on bags of money.

The creators of the float in the town of Aalst, 30 kilometres northwest of Brussels, claim they were simply following carnival tradition with their contribution and say they had no anti-Semitic intentions.

But EU Commission spokesperson, Margaritis Schinas, said it was unacceptable:

"It is unthinkable that these images are paraded in European streets," she said.

"The commission's position has, is and will always be very clear: We stand firmly against all forms of anti-Semitism. EU member states have only recently reaffirmed their commitment in a Council declaration specifically on this point."

Statistics point to a marked increase in anti-Semitic acts across Europe such as the desecration of a Jewish cultural centre in Strasbourg on March 4th.

Thousands took part in a march against anti-Semitism in Paris last month.