EPP: Jeleva Cleared of Violation Claims, Will Be EU Commissioner

EPP Group leader Joseph Daul (pictured with EC President Barroso) has declared an all-out support for Bulgaria's EC bidder Jeleva. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Bulgaria’s EU Commissioner-Designate Rumiana Jeleva has been cleared of the conflict of interests, according to the European People’s Party.

The Legal Office of the European Parliament has already submitted its position regarding the claims that Jeleva committed violations to the leaders of the EP Groups, the representatives of the EPP have announced as quoted by the BNR.

The European People’s Party is not going to withdraw the Bulgarian candidate for EU Commissioner Jeleva, and she is going to become the new EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, according to the Chair of the EPP Group in the EP, Joseph Daul.

During the meeting of the EPP Group Monday night, Daul has made it clear he has personally convinced Jeleva not to give up, and that he was constantly being in touch with the EC President Jose Manuel Barroso and the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Daul has vowed no to let the European Socialists deliver any blows to the plans of the EPP.

In his words, EPP has two goals: getting the new EC in office on January 26, 2010, as planned, and not losing any of its people on the way to achieving the first goal. The EPP is also determined not to allow a second hearing of Rumiana Jeleva.

Earlier on Monday, Daul stated that Jeleva deserved apologies by all those who claimed she had committed violations.

According to the reports, the decision of the EP Legal Office says that Jeleva did not commit any violations with respect to the financial declaration that she submitted as a EU Commissioner-Designate.

Allegations had it that in 2007-2009 Jeleva was simultaneously a MEP and a manager and owner of a private firm; upon further inspection by the Bulgarian Justice Ministry, however, it turned out that she had not technically broken the Bulgarian legislation applicable at that time.

Jeleva’s troubled hearing at the EP Development Committee took place on January 12, 2009. According to the political coordinators of the EP Groups in the Committee, Jeleva failed to perform well with respect to her proposed portfolio in charge of EU’s humanitarian aid, and failed to disprove convincingly the allegations that she was involved in a conflict of interests.

That is why the EP requested the position of the EP Legal Office, and of EC President Jose Manuel Barroso. Barroso has made it clear he had been assured by Jeleva that all the information submitted her was true and she was not involved in any violations.

Partly based on the position of the EP Legal Office – which has not technically been made public yet - the Development Committee of the EP is expected to come up with its final position on whether to support or declare itself against Jeleva’s nomination later Monday night during its session.

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