Bulgarian Commissioner-designate was Given Hearing at European Parliament

The hearing to Mariya Gabriel, the Bulgarian Commissioner-designate for the Digital Economy and Society portfolio was held by the European Parliament's Committees on Industry, Research and Energy and on Culture and Education on 20^th of June.

The hearing went on for two and a half hours. The questions to Mariya Gabriel were related to the protection of personal data on the Internet as well as cybercrime and ways to prevent false news on the web. Other topics were those related to the future of Internet platforms.

"My mission, set by the President of the European Union, is to work to facilitate and promote the creation of a digital single market and create an environment that will enable all Europeans to benefit from digital technologies," Maria Gabriel said in her statement at the start of the hearing.

"What is the scale of digital transformation - this is a major transformation, it is a source of great opportunities for people, but it also enables us to overcome major challenges today - security, growth, poverty, inequality, climate change. In fact, both the speed and the depth of this transformation lead to great challenges. We are facing a revolution - how we deal with the loss or transformation of jobs; how to adapt, as regards companies whose business models are under question; are there equal opportunities for men and women in digitization training; as well as pay - how to make effective digitization of public services such as healthcare, governmental services, transport; how to have more effectiveness and efficiency and more opportunities for citizens."

"Technology is changing our lives, changing our way of learning, traveling, working. But the way forward is only one. It goes through our unification, uniting us around a common cause - the future of our society, our values, our Europe. Creating tomorrow's world is the most inspiring project. Based on the energy of the present, I intend to continue this project by completing the Digital Single Market. This can only be done with you and your support, as well as with the support of the experts from the directorates n my area of responsibility, in full transparency and in a spirit of dialogue, together with common efforts and a clear objective - protecting and promoting the interests of the European citizens," Mariya Gabriel said.

Gabriel’s portfolio is a digital economy and digital society. MEPs in advance asked written questions to the Bulgarian candidate and her answers were on16 pages.

To be approved for the Commissioner’s post, Gabriel will have to receive the support of two-thirds of the Committee members.

The results from the hearing will be announced on 21^st of June, Wednesday.

If approved, Mariya Gabriel's candidacy will be voted on at a session of the European Parliament in July, and then she will be appointed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.