Máire Geoghegan-Quinn “Honoured to be Nominated” to the EU Commission

Maire Geoghegan Quinn’s statement on her nomination to be Ireland’s next commissioner is below the fold.

“In the immediate future, I will be working with the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and with An Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D. on the issue of my future responsibilities and portfolio allocation within the European Commission,” she said. “Secondly, I will have to prepare comprehensively for a ratification hearing that will then take place within the European Parliament.”

Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn served as Minister for European Affairs from 1987 – 1991, during which time she worked closely with the European Parliament in 1990 when Ireland held the Presidency of the European Union. During the past nine years she has been a member of the European Court of Auditors, which is the EU institution established to carry out the audit of EU finances. As the EU’s external auditor it contributes to improving EU financial management and acts as the independent guardian of the financial interests of the citizens of the Union. The court promotes accountability and transparency and assists the European Parliament and the Council in overseeing the implementation of the EU budget.

“The European Union operates most effectively when the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council of Ministers are all working together in a spirit of determination and co-operation to achieve common political, economic and social objectives,” she pointed out. “The ratification of the Lisbon Treaty allows reform of internal decision making procedures so that new laws can be brought forward in a more structured, efficient and co-ordinated way. As a result, the EU can now address key political problems within Europe and around the world in a more coherent and forthright way. I hope to contribute to making the Union more effective for all of its citizens” she said.