EPP PRESIDENT: LOOKING FORWARD TO NOMINATIONS OF COMMISSIONERS BY EPP PRIME MINISTERS

The President of the European People's Party (EPP), Wilfried Martens, expressed today EPP's wish for a more political Commission and his expectation that the EPP heads of state and government will do their part when they propose their nominees:

"Considering the growing challenges in European societies, it is important that Europe become's more political and less bureaucratic. With the re-election of Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso - the EPP candidate - the path is now open for our 14 EPP Prime Ministers to nominate candidates with a strong political profile. The Commission, being the Executive arm of the EU, needs to become more political in order to communicate effectively its work to European societies and to become more efficient and result-oriented," stated the EPP President.

When asked by the press if he prefers any particular individuals as candidates, President Martens made clear that "the choice of nominees is the exclusive responsibility of our heads of state and government. It is not my competence to support or dictate any candidates; my priority is to advise that the nominees have an EPP affiliation with a strong political profile. For example, when I recently spoke with the newly elected Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, I was very clear to point out that the selection of the appropriate person that will become Bulgarian's new Commissioner is his exclusive choice".