The criteria for relocating EU institutions from Great Britain have been violated, said Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday in reaction to Slovakia's unsuccessful bid to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Slovakia's bid was already eliminated in the first round of the vote, which took place on Monday, November 20, resulting in the EMA being allocated to Amsterdam.
"Lately we have seen too often that the given criteria have been violated. There were clear criteria set out for moving agencies from the UK to Europe, yet these criteria were totally ignored and the big players did what they wanted," stated Robert Fico adding that he intends to address these inequalities at the European level.
According to the Bloomberg agency commentator, Ferdinando Giulgiano, the European Union made a mistake when it decided to move the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority from London to Amsterdam and Paris, respectively. In an article published on Wednesday, Giuliano notes that the EU could have been more strategic about its future, as for once it could be seen as a giver rather than a taker. On the contrary, the latest choices will inevitably reinforce the view that the core of Europe cares little for its periphery. Eastern Europe is at the moment vividly under-represented when it comes to hosting EU agencies.
