The time has come for a European agency to be established in all member states, DISY and European People's Party MEP Lefteris Christoforou said on Wednesday, noting that Cyprus should also host such an organisation.
Speaking at the plenary session of the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, during the votes on the discharge procedure, in the presence of European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Christoforou noted that there are 3-4 countries that do not have a host EU agency, including Cyprus.
I believe that the time has come - in order to give the right message - for any new agency to be given to those countries that until now have not had the opportunity to have a corresponding agency, he said.
Among these countries, he continued, is Cyprus "which is in a geographical point where the presence of a European agency would also send a strong message for the EU."
Mr. Christoforou, who together with MEP Tomáš Zdechovský are the rapporteurs for the discharge of EU agencies, also said that the Committee on Budgetary Control is fighting to protect and safeguard the authority, credibility and dignity of the EU through safeguarding the principles of transparency and meritocracy, to "protect every euro of the European taxpayer".
"European taxpayers' money and the EU's prestige and credibility in difficult times must be safeguarded at any price," he said.
He noted that EU agencies are essentially the executive arm of the EU as they "deliver the work, aspirations and visions of European citizens".
These agencies should be at the forefront and set a good example to all European citizens, he added, noting that we should be particularly strict with the functioning of these agencies.
That is why as the Committee on Budgetary Control and as rapporteurs we set the bar very high in terms of applying the principles governing the EU treaties and the principles of control of these agencies, sending the message that there is zero tolerance for those who misuse public money, he said.
He also called for increased efficiency and the elimination of bureaucracy in these agencies, and recommended that "gender equality be enforced at all levels of these EU agencies."
These agencies essentially represent and express European citizens and should be located at every point and in every country of the EU, he concluded.
Source: CNA
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