Brussels, 12/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 12 April, the European Parliament adopted unchanged the draft Goulard report calling for the representation of the interests of the European Union before the international financial institutions to be streamlined (see EUROPE 11492).
Taking note of the European Commission's initiative to move towards a single representation of the Eurozone at the IMF (see EUROPE 11415), the MEPs take the view that the legislative proposal on the table should not be to the detriment of the ultimate creation of a single seat for the EU. “Beyond the case of the IMF alone, a gradual rationalisation of the Union's representation should be implemented over the next years, first of all by means of enhanced coordination and then, following an assessment, a unification of the seats”, they stress in the resolution they adopted.
The Parliament is also calling for an “in-depth evaluation” of the double seat occupied by the Presidencies of the European Council and of the European Commission at the G20 “in order to determine the extent to which this arrangement undermines European credibility externally”.
As regards strengthening Economic and Monetary Union, the EP takes the view that the “transparency and responsibility of the Eurogroup could be improved”, on the basis of the 'Thyssen' report of November 2012, which calls for a reinforced role for the MEPs in terms of democratic control and increased independence for the Commissioner for 'Economic and Monetary Affairs' (see EUROPE 10734). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)