Slowakije handhaaft kandidaat EU-Rekenkamer ondanks kritiek Europees Parlement (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU member states are being urged to respect MEPs' decision and reject the Slovak nominee for the EU's court of auditors Julius Molnár due to his lack of experience in the field of financial management and control.

Mr Molnár's nomination was rejected by MEPs on Wednesday but Slovakia has nevertheless decided to maintain his candidature for the post as the Parliament's opinion is non-binding.

The MEPs vote followed a negative opinion given by the budgetary control committee earlier this week on Mr Molnár.

Besides Julius Molnár, the Cypriot nominee Constantinos Karmios, also did not get the necessary support from the committee. But, he withdrew his candidacy following the negative vote by the committee.

The Cypriot government will now have to nominate anther person for the job.

EU states have until Friday at noon (7 May) to voice their opinion, by writing, on the nine candidates.

If a so-called qualified majority of member states are in favour of each of the candidates, then they will be accepted.

However, they are being urged to reject the Slovak nominee.

No experience

"His appointment would send out the wrong signal at a time when European citizens are rightly demanding tighter controls and more efficient EU policies", Dutch Socialist MEP Michiel van Hulten said in a letter to the Irish Ambassador Anne Anderson.

"I would urge you and your colleagues to oppose the nomination of Mr Molnár ... The Council cannot afford to ignore the serious objections raised in our House", he said.

In his letter, Mr van Hulten described Mr Molnár as a person with "virtually no experience in the field of financial management and control", and who "seemed totally unaware of the problems currently facing the implementation of the EU budget".

The European Court of Auditors carries out external audit of the EU finances and has one member from each EU country, appointed for a renewable term of six years.