EU Parliament 'to clear new Bulgarian Commissioner'

(BRUSSELS) - Bulgaria's controversial candidate for new EU aid commissioner is set to be cleared Monday by the European parliament of any doubts about her financial background, assembly sources said.

Members of the parliament assailed Bulgarian Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva last week over her financial interests and allegations about her husband's business dealings, at a hearing to see whether she is fit for the new post.

The assembly is due to vote on January 26 on whether to put the entire commission team into office for five years, and Jeleva's candidacy has appeared most likely to bring the new executive body down.

After giving assurances that her financial declaration last month was in order, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso wrote to the parliament to say she was qualified, as EU leaders had agreed.

The MEPs had argued that her involvement in one company, Global Consult, had not been declared.

It appears that "the declaration of financial interests that she made to become commissioner conforms with reality," one parliamentary source told AFP late Sunday, on condition of anonymity.

"She really did sell her shares in the company in question by the time she made her declaration," another source said.

However many lawmakers -- including from the assembly's second biggest grouping, the socialists, as well as the liberals and greens -- are still not convinced about her competence for the job.

Jeleva retains the backing of the biggest bloc, the conservatives.

The groups are set to meet Monday evening in Strasbourg, and if a majority believe she is not up to scratch, Barroso could be forced to convince Bulgaria to come up with another candidate.

"It's going to be very difficult for her to get out of this," a parliamentary source said.