The hearing of the Bulgarian-Commissioner-designate, Rumiana Jeleva, will certainly focus on speculations surrounding her family business, Andrew Duff, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament says.

Duff, who is also the reporter on the Commissioners' hearings spoke during a press conference Monday just before the EP began the first session, saying if MEPs decide they need additional information about a certain candidate, they can request it from the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

Duff pointed out that he was optimistic the vote on the approval of the new EC won't get postponed beyond the scheduled date of January 26 over the hearings.

According to the MEP, some candidates have submitted quite “thin declarations” of financial interests.

“It is strange that some of them ended up looking poor and like they have not done anything in their professional career until now,” Duff is quoted as saying. He, however, declined to state names of those who have omitted information about their past, but gave as positive example the Dutch candidate, Neelie Kroes, for her honesty when filling the declaration.

The MEP further reminded that his colleagues' main criteria in evaluating the candidates are general competency, team spirit, specific knowledge of their future portfolio, evidence they are capable of collaborating with the EP, and clean financial past.

Bulgarian candidate Rumiana Jeleva, who has been nominated to take the position of Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid, and Crisis Prevention, has been subject to extensive speculation concerning alleged conflict of interests.

A media report on Friday included the observation that "Bulgarian candidate Rumiana Jeleva in particular needs to "come clean" following conflict of interest allegations, Parliament insiders said."