European Union will decide on the location of the new headquarters European Authority to Combat the Targeting of Capital and Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) next February 22. representatives 9 candidate cities –Rome (Italy), Paris (France), Vienna (Austria), Madrid (Spain), Vilnius (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia), in frankfurt (Germany), Dublin (Ireland) and Brussels (Belgium) – they faced their final test this Tuesday. The Spanish delegation, headed by the Minister of Economy, Carlos’ Bodyand the mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Martínez-AlmeidaI presented Madrid like ““best possible venue”.
Body and Martínez Almeida, who is currently defending his candidacy for Secretary of State for the Treasury, joined forces this Tuesday at the hearing before the Committee on Economic Affairs and the Committee on Civil Liberties of the European Parliament. This was a short exam that lasted about half an hour and they only took questions from three Members of the European Parliament who asked them questions about technical issues and technical issues. geographical balance. Madrid does not currently host the headquarters of any European agency, but cities such as Vigo, Bilbao or Alicante, among others, do. How can Madrid fulfill this criterion?” asked Annalisa Tardino, an Italian MP from La Lega.
“20 out of 27 European capitals already have a community presence. Madrid does not and is the fourth largest capital city in the EU. If you look at financial institutions, moving this asset outside the core would be an example,” replied the Spanish minister, who believes that Madrid not only fits the criterion of geographical balance perfectly, but is also the best option. candidate to be defeated. “Looking at the strengths of the different candidates, Madrid has assets in all the critical indicators that we need to meet and, of course, in everything related to the domestic framework of the fight against money laundering, in which we have been leading since 2010. After the hearing, the phrase “90s” came to the fore.
glass tower
The new institution, which will have a staff of 150 people in the first year but will be expanded to 350 or 400 employees in subsequent years, is the cornerstone of the reform of the EU anti-money laundering legislative framework and has direct and indirect Supervisory powers, as well as the power to impose sanctions and request measures. Both Body and Martínez Almeida highlighted the firm’s strengths. Crystal Tower As the headquarters of the agency, they were satisfied with the presentation.
“It was very well received by both MEPs and the Council and Commission representatives who listened to us. What shaped the interest in the candidacy were specific but technical questions and some details. The comments are all positive and we remain excited about the possibilities of Madrid,” the minister of economy summarized. The mayor of Madrid added, “We are waiting for the decision to be taken, but we can say that this is the best headquarters to host the anti-money laundering agency.”
Co-legislators’ decision
Until mid-2022, the European Parliament had no role in the process of choosing the headquarters of the different European institutions. This all changed following the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) of 14 July 2022, which concluded that it is up to the legislator, that is, the Council, but also the European Parliament, to determine the seat. Brussels officially launched the call at the end of last September, and a total of nine candidates were submitted.
With this Tuesday’s presentation of each city’s strengths, the selection process has entered its final phase. The final vote will be held on February 22. Each institution will have 27 votes. That is, 27 for the European Parliament and 27 for the Member States, which will be distributed among the political groups according to their size. “We, like the other 8 candidates, are pressing for support,” the Spanish minister assured.