Europees Parlement wijst Slowaakse en Cypriotische kandidaten voor EU-Rekenkamer af (en)

EUOBSERVER / STRASBOURG - Two nominees for the Court of Auditors from the new member states, the Cypriot and Slovak, have been rejected by MEPs who did not think they were suitable for the task.

Constantinos Karmios, from Cyprus, and Julius Molnár, from Slovakia, did not get enough support from the European Parliament's budgetary control committee amid concerns that they would not be willing to co-operate with MEPs during their term in office.

MEPs from the budgetary control committee were concerned that Mr Karmios would not relinquish certain business activities if he takes on the job while Mr Molnár was seen as not up to the job due to his lack of financial experience.

Mr Karmios subsequently withdrew his nomination while Mr Molnár was rejected by MEPs with 429 votes in favour, 74 against and 54 abstentions during their vote in plenary today (5 May).

"We hope that the Slovak government will now withdraw [Julius Molnár's] candidacy", Dutch Socialist Michiel van Hulten told EUobserver.

The other eight nominees survived the vote from MEPs.

The Court of Auditors, established in 1977, carries out external audit of the EU finances.

The Court has one member from each EU country, appointed for a renewable term of six years. After consulting the European Parliament, the Council will adopt by qualified majority the list, drawn up in accordance with the proposals made by each Member State. (art. 247 TEC)