Sure, if you don’t ask, you won’t know.
Ireland has made two official bids to host agencies that plan to be relocated once Britain leave the EU.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are the two agencies the Irish government is seeking to bring to our shores.
The Department of Health and the Department of Finance are bidding to have two related agencies, which are based in London’s Canary Wharf, relocated to Ireland following Brexit.
In a statement, the Department of Finance confirmed that they had formally applied to host the EBA saying, “The submitted document outlines how Dublin meets the objective criteria that have been set out by the European Council and Commission, and highlights how a relocation to Dublin would be the least disruptive move for the EBA and its staff.”
The Department of Health confirmed that they’d made a similar offer to host the EMA.
“The Irish Government believes that relocating the EMA to Dublin is the best choice for Europe,” a statement from the Department of Health said.
It’s believed that there are at least 20 other cities in the running to host these agencies including Paris and Frankfurt.
Speaking on the formal bids, Minister of State with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance, Michael D’Arcy stated:
‘The fact that the United Kingdom has decided to leave the European Union has resulted in significant disruption and uncertainty. For the EBA, its staff and their families, a move to Dublin is the least disruptive option.
“Our transport links to Europe, our culture, language and skilled multilingual education workforce make Dublin an attractive destination ahead of other potential locations. Given the economic and strategic benefits for Ireland, we are making a strong proposal which includes incentives to support the relocation of the EBA and the establishment of a Relocation Group to aid the relocation of the Authority’.
“The EBA relocation to Dublin would be positive strategically and symbolically; having such a prestigious EU agency here would further raise our profile as global leaders in the financial services sector and demonstrate our position as a destination of choice for international companies seeking a location within the European Union. I strongly believe that Dublin is a strong contender for the relocation and is the best choice for Europe.”
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