Cyprus is one of four EU member states competing to host the headquarters of the European Labour Authority (ELA) with the campaign motto #ELAtoCyprus.
Bratislava (Slovakia), Riga (Latvia) and Sophia (Bulgaria) also submitted bids by the May 6 deadline and the bids can be viewed on the website of the European Council.
A decision is expected in June. Should EU governments pick Cyprus, the new authority will be housed in the former Laiki headquarters at the entrance to Nicosia which the government is offering to make available rent free.
#ELAtoCyprus@Christodulides @ZetaEmilianidou @CyprusinEU pic.twitter.com/ZV9npEjafZ
— Cyprus MFA (@CyprusMFA) March 18, 2019
Cyprus’ 60 page bid (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/39269/cyprus-ela-offer-en.pdf) begins with an introduction from President Nicos Anastasiades.
“Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is aspiring to host the European Labour Authority (ELA), expected to commence its workings within 2019. In a union of Solidarity, a Europe united in diversity, it would be the first ever European body to be hosted in Cyprus,” he writes.
“Hosting the Authority has been the natural outcome of Cyprus’ continuous support for the establishment of a common labour authority and its commitment to promoting fair working conditions, social cohesion, and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights,” he adds.
The president notes that Cyprus, with an open, diverse and multicultural society, besides its abundant historical heritage and natural wealth, offers a uniquely safe and stable environment to live and work, as well as advanced infrastructure, high quality health services and social security, high educational standards for English or French speakers and numerous employment prospects.
Nicosia, an extraordinary modern city with captivating history, enjoys all the necessary conditions for successfully hosting ELA, offering all the necessary means and tools for an efficient working environment, as well as the ideal quality of life for its staff and families, he said.
Moreover, hosting ELA in Cyprus would also substantially increase EU’s visibility across the eastern and southern part of the Union.
“Choosing Nicosia would come as a vote of confidence to countries and citizens at the EU’s periphery sending a message of decentralisation, solidarity and equality of all its member states, further enriching the Union’s unique institutional set-up and the overall operating framework of its agencies,” he said.
When the ELA is at full strength, it will bring some 140 staff to work in its headquarters, implying a probable total of around 500 new arrivals in Cyprus including family members.
Read more
https://in-cyprus.com/cyprus-to-apply-to-host-eu-labour-authority/
