Tsvetelina Penkova, Member of the European Parliament from the BSP and Vice-President of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), raised important questions of national importance during the hearings of the future European Commissioners.
She emphasized: “We managed to guarantee concrete commitments, important for Bulgaria, from the future commissioners“.
After three-hour hearings of the candidates, Ekaterina Zaharieva, nominated for commissioner for "Startups, Innovations and Scientific Research" and Dan Jorgensen, responsible for energy and housing policy, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) in the European Parliament approved both applications.
„During his hearing, the future European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Policy, Dan Jorgensen, defended all the priorities that I highlighted as important for Bulgaria and the EU. With a lot of effort, I managed to convince him to reconsider his initial position, and finally in the hall of the European Parliament, Jørgensen admitted that the EU needs nuclear power in order to have low and predictable electricity prices, Penkova concluded.
The future commissioner for this key department is committed to an objective approach to nuclear power as a key element of Europe's energy mix. He called for investment in the EU's electricity grid, which would help connect the energy market and reduce bills for households and industry. “These are topics of key importance for Bulgaria, the region and the EU, and I am glad that I was able to set them as basic and priority in the common European energy policies,” added Penkova.
Penkova welcomes the inclusion of the startup sector as an official department of the European Commission, which is a significant success for the development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. This is the result of her tireless work in the European Parliament. Penkova recalled that the first European legislation for startups was initiated by her in the previous mandate. It lays the foundations for support for start-ups in the EU. Thanks to this initiative, startups are included as a priority sector at the level of the European Commission. “We should be proud that Bulgaria has made a major contribution to this development,” commented Penkova.
Start-ups are the engine of growth in Europe, providing over 2 million jobs and 3% of EU GDP. “I expect the European Commission to take specific legislative and financial measures to support startups, including targeted funding and easier access to capital, to ensure their development and competitiveness. Only in this way will the young entrepreneurs and innovators of Bulgaria and the EU be able to realize their potential at home, and will not look for opportunities for realization in the USA, Great Britain or Asia”, commented Penkova.
In the next 5 years, Penkova expects active cooperation with the European Commission for building a sustainable economy and for the re-industrialization of Europe.
Tsvetelina Penkova expresses confidence that with the support of the European Parliament, the new commissioners will implement effective policies aimed at economic development, innovation, energy security and low electricity prices in Bulgaria and EU.
To contact the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP:
https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/< /em>
