Oskar Herics's European Court of Auditors nomination endorsed in committee

Austria’s nomination of Oskar Herics as its member of the European Court of Auditors was endorsed by Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee after a hearing on Monday. If the European Parliament confirms his nomination at its 24-27 February plenary session, Mr Herics will take up his new duties in the Luxembourg-based court after the Council seals the appointment.

Mr Herics's nomination was approved by 15 votes to 2, with one abstention in a secret ballot.

A lawyer by profession, Mr Herics has been working for the Austrian Court of Auditors as an auditor since 1991 and has experience of over one hundred audits. He was nominated to the European auditing body by the Austrian authorities.

Procedure

Members of the Court of Auditors are appointed for six years. The Council, after consulting the European Parliament, decides upon the proposals made by each member state.

To prepare for a hearing in Parliament, a candidate is asked to answer a questionnaire prepared by the Budgetary Control Committee. At the hearing, candidates may make a five-minute opening statement, followed by a question and answer session with committee members. The committee votes on the candidate in a secret ballot. If approved in committee, the nomination is then put to a vote by Parliament as a whole.

In the chair: Michael Theurer (ALDE, DE)