Incoming competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes has strongly denied allegations by MEPs that she facilitated bribes or wrongly helped friends arrange business in Indonesia, and referred to the confidence placed in her by future Commission President José Manuel Barroso and the Dutch government.
Answering to fellow countryman and Green MEP Paul Van Buitenen, Mrs Kroes described the allegations as "unfounded and nonsensical", saying she had never taken bribes and would never accept any.
Speaking before the Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, she tried to draw attention to her future role in the Commission and vowed to "apply the rules made for the market to function properly" for the interest of both consumers and businesses.
Prior to the hearing, Kroes had answered allegations of conflict of interest with her previous business career by stepping down from the board of several companies. She also promised to observe a "cooling down" period of one year during which she will not decide on competition or state aid cases involving companies she had dealings with.
MEPs will vote to accept or reject the future Barroso Commission as a whole at the end of October.
