Confused plans for EU security agency

MPs say the EC has taken a "surprising turn"

Brussels is being accused of undermining the European Information and Network Safety Agency because of a political decision to site it in a Greek region where it has proved difficult to recruit qualified staff.

The location of the agency in Heraklion was ruled off-limits by the European Commission in a review concluding it needed both more staff and greater influence to carry out its work effectively and economically.

Now the Commission wants to scrap the agency altogether and roll its work into the proposed European Electronic Communications Market Authority, aimed at cracking down on member states that are failing to introduce effective e-market competition.

MPs on the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee, which heard about the revised strategy last week, said the move constituted "a surprising turn". And the committee is not convinced that the proposed authority is the best way to ensure member states act to improve the communications market across the EU.