EU President Has Confidence in All Commissioners-Designate

EC President Barroso has expressed his confidence in all the European Commissioners-Designate, and will not interfere in the parliamentary process of approval. Photo by BGNES

Jose Manuel Barroso, EU Commission President, has not expressed any opinion on the controversy surrounding Rumiana Jeleva, the Bulgarian Commissioner-Designate, and will respond appropriately and swiftly to any approach by the European Parliament, the president’s spokesperson has confirmed.

"Based on information provided to date, the EU Commission president has confidence in all nominated Commissioners-Designate," said his spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde at a press conference on Wednesday.

"The President reminded that Mrs. Jeleva categorically denies the charges against herself," said the spokeswoman. She referred to the letter of January that Barroso had sent to the EP Greens group, in which he had stated that Jeleva had assured him that her declaration contained nothing wrong.

MEPs have said that they will request both the legal department of the European Parliament as well as Barroso himself to verify the allegations against Jeleva of irregularities in the declaration of her financial interests.

"The EC President has confidence in all nominees for EU commissioners and will not interfere in the process of approval. The President respects the very role of parliament in the hearings," she added.

"Until now the President has not received such a request, but will naturally respond to any request of the European Parliament," said Barroso's spokeswoman.

Ahrenkilde confirmed that the Code of Conduct that has served as the basis for the Commissioners in the description of the declaration of their financial interests, provides that they declare their shares in commercial companies. Jeleva has been accused of having failed to declare shares in a Bulgarian consulting company "Global Invest".

Barroso is scheduled to meet with the President of the European People's Party (EPP) Joseph Daul and with the leader of the Socialists in European Parliament Martin Schulz on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting is expected to discuss the situation regarding Rumiana Jeleva.

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