Social-Democrat MEP Victor Boştinaru told Mediafax wire service that the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso officially asked President Traian Băsescu to provide other three options Romania might have to fill in the position of European Commissioner.
Boştinaru said no explicit statement warned Romania would not get the Agriculture portfolio, but the request implicitly states just that. He also said the European Commission expressed its "deepest disapontment" with the way Basescu negotiated the issue of Romania filling in the Agriculture Commissioner portfolio.Sources said the EU request was for three persons from three different political ideologies be put forth, and that Romania failed to provide them as yet.
The reason why the EU has second thoughts in giving Romania the portfolio for agriculture comes from a long record of poor management of the EU funds for agriculture in Romania and from the long-standing accusations of corruption in the country's administration.
Ireland is said to be the likely candidate to take the portfolio Romania was vying for.
• Translated by AAP