Member States agreed in principle to Estonian and French joint proposal concerning the seat of the IT-agency
02.12.2010 | Marko Pomerants | English news
Today, on 2nd of December EU Ministers of Interior during the Justice and Home Affairs Council endorsed the joint Franco-Estonian proposal concerning the seat of the agency of operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice, proposed by Mr. Marko Pomerants, Minister of Interior of Estonia and Mr. Brice Hortefeux, Minister of Interior of France.
According to Estonian Minister of Interior Mr. Pomerants, this political agreement is the most important step on the way of creating the headquarters of IT-agency in Tallinn. "The formal decision will be made on later stage, but today´s exchange of views showed that the Council is happy with the joint proposal by Estonia and France," said Mr Pomerants. Our successful joint proposal is the result of a good cooperation between these two countries, added Pomerants.
The Regulation on the agency of operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice has to be approved together with the European Parliament. This will hopefully take place in the beginning of 2011.
According to Estonian and French joint proposal, the seat of the new Agency would be in Tallinn, but the development and operation of the current and future systems will be carried out in Strasbourg, so as to optimize technical synergies with existing systems and benefit from investments done so far at the site in Strasbourg.
The joint solution is also in line with the decision in principle taken by the European Council in 2003 that the new EU agencies shall be located in the New Member States.
Source: Estonian Ministry of the Interior
