Auconie, a centre-right MEP who sits in the European Parliament's regional development committee, called for the "heavy" French administrative burdens on deploying EU regional funds to be eased.
If these rules were relaxed, French regions would have an additional weapon to combat the economic crisis, she claimed.
Speaking at a meeting organised by sustainable development NGO ACIDD, the MEP argued that constraints placed on member states were excessive, particularly in countries where a "control culture" already exists. She singled out France, Germany, Ireland and the UK as examples of the latter.
The MEP called for these countries to sign a "contract of confidence" with the European Commission whereby they would be exempt from certain control procedures.
Citing the French examples of the General Paymasters (trésoriers payeurs généraux) or External Auditors (commissaires aux comptes), she argued that these countries already have sufficient mechanisms in place and do not require added levels of control from the EU bureaucracy.
MEP slams invisible French regional lobbies in Brussels
Auconie criticised regional structures in France, explaining that "we haven't gone as far as we could in decentralising the control of European funds". However, when questioned by EurActiv France as to whether this control should be completely decentralised, she shirked the question, saying only that the issue is "complex".
She reserved her most severe criticism for French regional representatives in Brussels, claiming to have never met a single regional official or lobbyist. "I know they exist, but they're quasi-invisible in practice," she noted damningly.
