Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
“The President of the Commission expressed respect and regret at the same time for Markus Peper’s decision not to take up his position as SME Envoy on April 16 ‘today’ as planned,” a European Commission spokesperson said through a statement issued in Brussels.
According to the statement, “Markus Peper is a certified expert in the field of SMEs and has passed a multi-stage selection process. The independence of each EU institution in appointing its senior officials must be respected. The President of the Commission has therefore decided to suspend the reopening of the selection procedures for the position of SME Envoy.” Until after the European elections."
The Commission's SME Envoy aims to contact small business lobby groups and ensure that their views are taken into account in policy making. Bieber was appointed to the position a few weeks ago, giving him temporary official status with a basic salary of about 17,000 euros per month. According to media reports
A draft seen by Euronews accuses Ursula von der Leyen, head of the Commission, of political favoritism in choosing Markus Peper, from her party, for the lucrative official position.
Sources told Euronews that members of the European Parliament from several major political parties called on the European Commission to rethink the appointment of a controversial official, accusing its president, Ursula von der Leyen, of political favoritism.
Lawmakers want to cancel Markus Peper's appointment as Commission envoy for SMEs when discussing the Commission's budget, according to a draft amendment seen by Euronews.
The amendment “notes with concern that the successful candidate is an outgoing MEP from President von der Leyen’s German political party,” and “calls on the Commission to rectify the situation by canceling the appointment” and reopening the process.