EU diplomats have been accused of wasting millions of pounds on over-sized embassies around the world.

An official report yesterday found some of the outposts were so big that staff members had individual offices bigger than the average British family home.

One property in Tanzania was still owned by the EU despite lying empty since 2009.

Big spenders: EU diplomats have been accused of wasting millions of pounds on over-sized embassies around the world

Some of the outposts were so big that staff members had individual offices bigger than the average British family home. Pictured: the Barbados branch of the EU's foreign office

The European External Action Service, the EU’s foreign office, has set up 140 embassies across the globe – in many cases replicating those already run by member states.

In a scathing report, the European Court of Auditors yesterday warned the diplomats were splashing 165 million euros a year (£128m) on grand buildings that were much bigger than needed.

The official residences of the EU ambassadors, known as heads of delegation, according to guidelines should ‘not be excessively ostentatious’.

The European External Action Service, the EU’s foreign office, has set up 140 embassies across the globe – in many cases replicating those already run by member states. Pictured: the EU embassy in Washington DC

But the EU’s financial watchdog said 33 of the properties were bigger than the maximum 600 square metres allowed under the rules.

When diplomats looked for a new residence in Sri Lanka in 2014, the auditors found that the staff had opted for a house that was 930 square metres.

Several of the office buildings used by the EEAS were also found to be excessively big. In Geneva, Switzerland, the EU’s embassy to the UN is 2,500 square metres despite having just 25 staff.

Each individual therefore has 100 square metres in which to work. In comparison, the average family home in Britain is around 97 square metres.

Auditors criticised the diplomats for not making proper checks to make sure the property costs were in line with market rates for the offices in Togo, the residences in Mauritania and Sri Lanka and accommodation in Kenya.

The report warned ‘that while delegation buildings generally met needs, they did not provide best value for money in some cases because their space exceeded the limits specified in the building policy’.

European Commission spokesman Maja Kocijancic (pictured) last night said the delegations ‘play a key role in presenting, explaining and implementing the EU’s foreign policies’

The European Court of Auditors yesterday warned the diplomats were splashing 165 million euros a year (£128m) on grand buildings that were much bigger than needed. Pictured: the Australian office in Canberra

The EEAS, which was created by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, has been accused by Eurosceptics of taking over the role of national diplomatic services as part of the formation of an EU superstate.

European Commission spokesman Maja Kocijancic last night said the delegations ‘play a key role in presenting, explaining and implementing the EU’s foreign policies’.

‘The EEAS manages 180 office buildings and 140 official residences in 138 countries throughout the world, each with its own specific legal system and property market, from Europe to Africa, Asia to Australia and the Americas. This makes for a challenging and complex environment in which to operate,’ she said.