MEP Siegfried Muresan:PSD-ALDE Gov't refused to make pitch for Romania to host European Labor Authority

The PSD - ALDE government has refused the chance for Romania to host the European Labor Authority (ELA), as it should have applied by May 6 for Romania to accommodate the newly established authority, says MEP Siegfried Muresan. 

Muresan this Friday asked Premier Viorica Dancila to explain "why she has chosen to pass up the chance for Romania to host, in a first, an institution of the European Union." 

"I have twice publicly called on the Romanian Government to file a serious bid to host this new European institution. The first time was in March, after the EU Council published the procedure for the selection of the new seat, the second time was in early April, when we voted in the European Parliament the agency's regulation. I insisted that Romania should join this competition because I knew it had the best odds to win. First of all because it is one of the 5 EU member states that don't yet host any European institution and because it is the largest of these countries. The other countries are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Slovakia. Secondly, because the facility requirements for the new headquarters and the new host city could be easily fulfilled by a seat in Bucharest," Siegfried Muresan wrote on Facebook. 

The MEP explained that by the end of the bidding window, three of the four countries that don't yet host any EU agency had applied for hosting the ELA: Bulgaria (Sofia), Slovakia (Bratislava), Cyprus (Nicosia), as well as Latvia (Riga), which are all countries and capital cities much smaller and less resourceful than Romania and Bucharest. 

"Latvia, no larger than 5 counties, is already hosting an EU institution and doesn't give up on accommodating the ELA. That's how you obtain things in Europe! The Dancila Government did not apply because it is unable to obtain anything for Romania in Europe. This is yet another major failure of the Dancila Government, the more so as this happens during the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. This institution was established during the Romanian Presidency and, at least in theory, the Government knew exactly what hosting this authority involves. I am calling on Premier Dancila to come out publicly and explain why she chose to pass up the chance for Romania to host, in a first, an EU institution!," concluded the Liberal MEP.