EU Humanitarian Aid commissioner-designate: Grilled!

German media reports allege that the husband of commissioner-designate for humanitarian aid and crisis response of the European Union (ECHO – 700+ million Euro budget), Rumiana Jeleva, has links to organized crime in Bulgaria*.  Jeleva, a 41-year old former foreign minister in Bulgaria, underwent a tough hearing in front of the European Parliament last night as ministers grilled her on the allegations.  She denied any wrongdoing. Bulgaria does not contribute to the overall EU humanitarian aid fund.

It was also said on the Parliament floor that Jeleva owned a company, Global Consulting Ltd, that she did not apparently disclose as part of her declarations of interest as required by a code of conduct for commissioners – i.e. full transparency.  One minister, Antoniya Parvanoa (also Bulgarian) told the assembly that Jeleva had instead simply renamed the company and that the commissioner-designate currently retains 60% ownership.  She then said Jeleva’s statement that she did not own Global Consulting Ltd “was not the truth.”

“I am not the owner of Global Consulting nor any other company. I will invite you to my hometown, I will take you there myself and together we go (sic) through any register you want,” responded Jeleva followed by a round of applause.  No one took up the dare. Nonetheless,  the questions and response over these allegation are a sore point that at one point threatened to  undermine  and derail the entire hearing.  The atmosphere was tense.

Jeleva instead attempted to refocus the three-hour session onto her proposed program to facilitate humanitarian aid throughout the world.  The European Parliament has the power to dismiss her nomination – but only if they reject all commission-designates.

The feeling here, at least on my part having witnessed the whole debacle, is that the European ministers in general have or are turning against this commissioner-designate – referred to as the weakest link of all the 26 commissioner-designates in the European Commission (the EU’s executive branch).

ECHO is mandated to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters and armed conflict outside the European Union.

Some of Jeleva’s propositions:

As its possible future chief, Jeleva wants to better coordinate efforts with the UN, UNHCR, UNICEF, nation-states and regional and local actors. Jeleva wants to prioritize support for women who have fallen victim to conflict as well as better security for humanitarian workers. In 2008, 102 humanitarian workers were killed – more than UN peacekeepers.  Many others were kidnapped and held at ransom.  But what exactly Jeleva has in mind to increase security for these workers remains elusive.

In this context, Jeleva wants to make clear distinctions between humanitarian aid and military intervention that, according to her, are becoming more and more blurred.  Humanitarian aid workers find themselves in extremely dangerous positions as many may view their presence as an extension of a foreign military campaign and complicit western interest.

“This is a great concern in Afghanistan,” she said, adding that there needs to better coordination with the military presence throughout the country.  The Taliban are thought to currently control 60%, if not more, of the country. Jeleva said she is therefore prepared to work with moderate Taliban to get aid distributed where needed.

She also wants to better address efforts to prevent or mitigate the food crisis in the Horn of Africa by offering support to local markets and traders.  Eritrea, for example, had kicked out humanitarian aid workers.

In the Congo, Jeleva says ECHO needs to be more active at all levels, especially with local actors and declared it will be one of her first tasks as commissioner.   Sexual and gender based violence is a harsh reality in Congo (where it is used as a weapon) and elsewhere. Support for these victims include health care and shelters.  She also plans to visit Gaza where 95% of the population depend on humanitarian aid – aid that has been blocked by Israel.

“We’ve been unable to distribute aid there (Gaza),” said Jeleva. “We are giving cash to the worst affected in the population which has been very useful.”

Jeleva will also create a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps as stipulated by the new Lisbon Treaty.

*Transparency International ranks the perceptions of corruption in Bulgaria as 71 out of 180 countries with one being the least corrupt. Along with Romania, Bulgaria is viewed as the most corrupt nations in the European Union.