Bulgarian European Commissioner-designate Zaharieva’s European Parliament hearing passes smoothly
The November 5 European Parliament confirmation hearing of Bulgaria’s Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner-designate for Startups, Research and Innovation, passed smoothly.
Zaharieva gave introductory remarks to, and faced questions from, the European Parliament’s industry, research and innovation committee in a session of just more than three hours at which members of the culture and education committee were also present.
She listed her priorities as including for investments in innovation and science to reach three of Europe’s gross domestic product, from a current 2.23 per cent. This will be done by increasing the euro funds and by mobilising private capital.
The second is to expand the activities of the European Research Council and create a new European forum for start-ups.
The third is the development of key technologies – life sciences and the use of artificial intelligence.
The fourth is boosting the role of women in science, with the goal of achieving 50 per cen participation in the various programmes.
The fifth, an “ambitious budget” for the next framework programme of 800 and 950 billion euro.
Zaharieva pledged to cut red tape, reduce the bureaucratic burden, overcome the fragmentation of the innovation and research sector, increase investments, attracting private capital, strengthening cooperation with the European Investment Bank.
“I will work tirelessly so that there is no brain drain from the European Union. The lack of coordination in the actions between the EU member states makes it difficult to achieve high results ,” Zaharieva told MEPs.
The questions were related to the spending of European funds for science, innovation and research, the lack of results, according to citizens, the removal of administrative burdens for applicants for funding, investments in nuclear energy and space research.
A recurring theme in the hearing was Europe lagging behind the United States and China in innovation and competitiveness.
Zaharieva intends to create a forum in January or February 2025 for start-ups and growing businesses to understand their needs in informal regular meetings. She said that Europe’s competitiveness and climate goals are closely linked and interdependent, making investment in nature protection a top priority.
She said that she supports more intensive research and innovation in the field of defence, as well as an increase in European investment in this area. However, this does not contradict or exclude civic innovation, she said.
Geopolitical issues that were raised included Danish Red-Green Alliance MEP Pers Clausen was the involvement of Israeli companies in Horizon Europe programmes, which he alleged resulted in products being used in Palestinian territory and Gaza.
Zaharieva said that Horizon Europe would continue to fund Israeli researchers, with international law respected, “as we do with all our applicants, Israel must comply with EU and international law”.
“We have a very strong monitoring system,” she said.
“No project financed under Horizon Europe is related to defence. All Israeli projects are checked and they are exclusively on civilian applications. There is no project of Israeli organisations that envisages military research ,” Zaharieva said.
Respnding to another question, she expressed confidence that European security is strongly linked to the events with Ukraine and said that Ukraine should be supported to win the war.
“I very much hope that peace will defeat war, and I think that our security, and I am convinced and I believe that our security is tied to Ukraine winning this war. And yes, I believe that the resources and the efforts that we are making to help Ukraine to win is not lost money for us, it is an investment in our security. Ukraine is fighting for our security”.
The industry, research and energy committee members were to meet on the afternoon of November 5 for an “assessment meeting” of Zaharieva’s candidacy. Observers saw in the round of applause at the close of her hearing a positive sign for her.
At the end of the process of the hearings of the Commissioners-designate, the committees’ evaluation letters are examined by the Conference of Committee Chairs and conveyed to the Conference of Presidents, a body composed of the EP President and the leaders of the Parliament’s political groups, which can seek further information or declare the confirmation hearings closed.
Once the confirmation hearings are closed, the European Commission President is invited to present the College of Commissioners-designate and its programme during a debate in plenary, following which the European Parliament votes on the Commission’s College as a whole.
The vote is currently scheduled to take place during the November 25 to 28 European Parliament sitting in Strasbourg.
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