The European Council said in a statement Tuesday that 19 cities had entered the bid to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and eight had applied for the European Banking Authority (EBA).

The European Commission will assess the eligibility of all applicant cities in a first step, paying attention to six criteria including transport links, the prospects of organizing a swift move to the new address and schools for the children of employees.

Frankfurt is already home to the European Central Bank and could therefore be a good fit for the EBA

A decision on the new home of the two EU agencies will then be made during a secret vote to be held by EU Council of Ministers in November. Both the EBA and the EMA are pegged to be resettled soon afterward to their new cities.

Read more: Brexit: PM's office says freedom of movement to end on March 2019

The EMA with an annual budget of 305 million euros ($360 million) is in charge of approving and monitoring the safety of drugs across Europe. The EBA meanwhile coordinates banking rules and regulations for the bloc.

Options in Germany

The central German city of Frankfurt applied to host both the EMA and EBA agencies. Being home to the European Central Bank and already hosting a number of financial institutions, Frankfurt could be a preferred candidate for the EBA.

Bonn could be the preferred new home of the EMA, hosting a number of international institutions already

Bonn, the former German capital with a series of federal German ministries and long list of existing international institutions including the United Nations and the International Paralympic Committee, also applied to host the EMA. It could be a preferred location also due to its proximity to other key EU cities, chiefly Brussels and Luxembourg.

Read more: As Brexit looms, UK orders study into EU migration pros and cons

However, it is not possible for both Bonn and Frankfurt to win the race, as the rules of the competition rule out the prospect of both agencies ending up in the same country.

Watch video 02:46 Share Road to Brexit: Northern Ireland border area Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2hU70 Road to Brexit: Northern Ireland border area

Steep competition

The cities that succeed in hosting either of the two agencies will benefit economically in a number of ways, from welcoming highly qualified individuals as new residents to hosting specialized conferences attracting thousands of people annually.

Frankfurt faces some steep competition from cities like Luxembourg, Paris, Dublin, Vienna, Brussels and Warsaw for hosting the EBA, which employs nearly 160 staff. Bonn meanwhile has to compete against the likes of Amsterdam, Lille, Milan, Helsinki, Barcelona and Bratislava to welcome the 900 employees of the EMA.

Amsterdam even tried to appeal to the potential new residents by pointing out that they could still enjoy famed aspects of British life.

"We also have a very stylish queen, and enjoy fish and chips."

What Germans think about the Brexit negotiations May made a mess of it Johannes Bader: I think the Europeans have a far stronger hand in the Brexit negotiations. Theresa May made a complete mess of things in the snap election that just happened. It's total chaos. But that's all I know about it.

What Germans think about the Brexit negotiations Divisions are no good for the future Johannita Müller: I hope Europe has the better cards. I really do. It's not good for the future if there are divisions everywhere. I would hope that the British back away from the Brexit.

What Germans think about the Brexit negotiations The UK has its work cut out for it Peter Gutthat: First of all, I think it's regrettable that things even got this far. I think it's a step backwards for Europe. The UK is going to have its work cut out for it to get a decent result. Europe can't afford to let them get away with having any advantages.

What Germans think about the Brexit negotiations You just have to laugh "Klaus Humboldt" (wished to remain anonymous): I love British humor, and with the Brexit and the election you just have to laugh. They're making themselves look ridiculous. May is completely kaput. But I don't know whether the EU has the better cards or not. I'm sure everyone will be fighting tooth and nail.

What Germans think about the Brexit negotiations Hold another vote now Ursula Stampf: They should hold another election. I think that the Brexit is a total shame. So they should vote again on it. That's all I have to say.

What Germans think about the Brexit negotiations Why shouldn't I be relaxed? Edgar Maas: I don't know what's going to happen. It may very well be that in two years the British hold another election to decide whether they truly want Brexit after all. I don't think they be able to complete all the negotiations by then in any case. But it doesn't really affect me. So why shouldn't I be relaxed? Author: Jefferson Chase



ss/se (AFP, dpa, Reuters)