Kyprianou gets Health and Consumer brief

EUROPEAN Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou was yesterday given the Health and Consumer Protection (SANCO) portfolio in the new European Commission (EC).
The EC is expected to assume its duties on November 1, following the approval of the European Parliament.

Speaking at a news conference at the offices of the EU representation in Nicosia, Kyprianou said he had assured EC President-designate Jose Manuel Barroso, that upon approval of his appointment, he would dedicate himself wholeheartedly to his new duties and rise to the honour bestowed to him and Cyprus.

It had been expected that Kyprianou would be taking over the Budget portfolio from Michaele Schreger, whom he had been shadowing since May 1.

Kyprianou, Finance Minister until his appointment to the Commission earlier this year, said yesterday he had told Barroso that he did not necessarily want to be restricted to financial issues, but preferred to have an area, which planed community policy and affected the European population.

“Hence the selection and my gratitude for the decision,” he said.

He added that the commissioners’ positions were not technocratic but political.
“To a certain degree, President Barrosso based his decision on my training as a lawyer because most of the issues concerning this field are linked to legal matters,” Kyprianou said.

“I want to believe that, coming from a small new member, the granting to me of a portfolio of such importance proves that we are all treated equally,” Kyprianou said.
He said his portfolio covered the whole EU population of around 500 million, adding its specific areas of action had become the priorities of the enlarged Union.

The specific areas covered by his portfolio will be public health, food safety, the battle against AIDS and the struggle against smoking.

Kyprianou said the appointment was a challenge for him and he believed that through work and good co-operation with the directorate he would live up to Barroso’s trust.

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