Bulgaria’s EU Commissioner-designate Won Unanimous Support after Hearing at EP

Bulgaria’s European Commissioner-designate Mariya Gabriel has won unanimous support for her nomination after her hearing by two committees of the European Parliament, which took place on 20^th of June, sources in Brussels told BNT on 21^st of June.

The decision of the committees is expected to be officially announced on 29^th of June. Then Gabriel’s nomination for EU commissioner will be voted in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 4^th of July

The Socialist and Democrat Group in the European Parliament has circulated a message saying it supports Mariya Gabriel as a commissioner for the digital economy and digital society.

The Socialists in the European Parliament are satisfied with the answers of the Bulgarian Commissioner-designate.

"We will support Gabriel with pleasure because she has shown knowledge, we expect the words to be translated into action," the message said.

Mariya Gabriel will be commissioner until mid-2019, when Jean-Claude Juncker's mandate expires.

Liliyana Pavlova, Minister of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, also commented on the topic, outlining the priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the EU next year.

"Her presentation was brilliant, it is my personal assessment, but it is both the official and unofficial assessment at all meetings I has today in the European Parliament. The assessment is exceptionally good,” she said. “We now have three specific priorities - the Western Balkans, focusing on the European perspective, dimensions of connectivity and security; the second is the Black Sea cooperation on environment, tourism and infrastructure and the third priority is cohesion policy in the context of the discussion of the multiannual financial framework after 2020,” Pavlova noted.