STRASBOURG — Excellent news for followers of EU enlargement!
The European Parliament determined this week to open an workplace in Panama in coordination with the European Exterior Motion Service, in response to a confidential word seen by POLITICO.
The senior MEPs who make up the Parliament’s bureau signed off on the transfer in a gathering behind closed doorways on Monday night.
“Parliament employees could be seconded to the EU delegation in Panama,” in response to the word. The bureau endorsed a plan to arrange what it referred to as an “antenna workplace” again in the summertime — and selected Panama as a location on Monday evening.
An official from a right-wing group within the Parliament, who requested anonymity, stated her solely remark was: “What for?”
“Now the race begins to see who manages to get his candidate on the publish!” stated one other political operative within the Parliament.
Panama is the house of the Parlatino, a consultative physique overlaying Latin America, and was due to this fact thought-about the “most fitted” location by the bureau, per the word. A part of its operate will likely be “offering help to Parliament’s political our bodies visiting the area,” it says.
The Parliament has already opened places of work exterior the EU in Jakarta, Addis Ababa, and New York. In November, MEPs determined to open a illustration workplace within the Ukrainian parliament, with one Parliament staffer to be seconded to Kyiv.
Spanish MEP Iratxe García praised the transfer to open a Panama workplace as “excellent news,” saying it needs to be used to advertise parliamentary ties between Latin America and the European Union. The main Socialist and Democrats MEP stated: “I at all times stated it was essential for Europe to look to Latin America as a area the place we have now main alternatives to tighten cooperation.”
Roberts Zīle, a vice chairman of the Parliament from Latvia, stated the choice in favor of opening the workplace in Panama had been unanimous. In comparable places of work elsewhere there may be solely “one particular person” from the Parliament, which means the price shouldn’t be vital in comparison with the EU Parliament’s €2 billion annual price range.
“The European Union wants plenty of uncommon earth metals … specifically for the Inexperienced Deal,” he stated, arguing Latin America is a vital continent for the EU politically.
Proper-wing MEP Roberts Zīle, who intends to run for a fifth Parliament time period, stated these actually wanting to avoid wasting prices ought to take a look at the costly Europa Expertise venture, which is attempting to construct a customer middle in regards to the Parliament in each EU capital. “This can be a larger alternative to economize,” he argued.
A European Parliament spokesperson had not responded to questions on the price of the workplace in Panama by the point of publication.