Brussels, 05/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 5 February, the European Parliament Conference of the Presidents suspended the decision taken this week by the Bureau of the EP to award financial aid of over €200,000 in 2009 to the Eurosceptic Libertas movement, founded by Irish businessman Declan Ganley (see EUROPE 9832). The Parliament's administrative body was asked to carry out a “thorough check” on the validity of the supporting signatures that Libertas provided the EP in its successful quest for recognition as a “European political party” and the accompanying Community financial aid. “If everything is found to be in order, the decision to award funding will be carried out. In the meantime, payment has been suspended,” an EP source explained. To be recognised as a European political party, a political formation must intend to take part in European elections (as Libertas does) and have the support of elected representatives from a quarter of member states or having obtained at least 3% of the vote in their states. Libertas presented a request supported by three MEPs (Frenchman Paul-Marie Coûteux and Philippe de Villliers and Greek Georgios Georgiou) and five national representatives (Briton Lord Alton of Liverpool, Finn Timo Juhani SoiniTimo Juhani, Pole Cyprian Gutkowski, Bulgarian Hristov Kouminev and Estonian Igor Gräzin). On the basis of these signatures, the Bureau of the EP said on Monday 2 February that Libertas met all the criteria and granted it €202,823 from the EU budget for 2009. Two days later, things got messy: two of the eight signatories, the Estonian Gräzin and the Bulgarian Kouminev said that they had never given their support to Libertas in its bid for European political party status. Libertas claims that they did, and says it has in its possession duly signed documents by the two MPs. In a press release, the movement speaks of a “concerted effort to intimidate” its supporters and promised to provide several other supporting signatures. (H.B./transl.rt)