The following are the written questions received by designate Commissioner Karmenu Vella from MEPs in preparation for the grilling by the European Parliament which will take place on Monday followed by written answers submitted by Mr Vella. 

1. General competence, European commitment and personal independenceWhat aspects of your personal qualifications and experience are particularly relevant for becoming Commissioner and promoting the European general interest, particularly in the area you would be responsible for? What motivates you? How will you contribute to putting forward the strategic agenda of the Commission?What guarantees of independence are you able to give the European Parliament, and how would you make sure that any past, current or future activities you carry out could not cast doubt on the performance of your duties within the Commission?

Reply:I have been a member of the Maltese Parliament for nearly 40 years. During this time I have held several functions in government, including as Minister for Public Works, for Industry, and for Tourism. I have also held several directorships and senior management positions in the public and private business sectors, including with companies operating in the banking, hospitality and travel industries.I have practical experience of work requiring strong political leadership, management and negotiation skills, and the ability to set and deliver targets.Most recently, as Minister for Tourism in Malta, I was responsible for the country's most important economic sector, a multifaceted industry that required me to engage and cooperate with the full range of stakeholders.My experience of the private sector has also given me a strong sense of the need for forward planning, efficiency, and to avoid excessive regulation and bureaucracy.Blue growth and the green economy will be key building blocks of the competitive Europe of jobs, growth and fairness that President-elect Juncker has outlined to the Parliament, both because of the jobs that they will create and because of the potential for reducing Europe's dependence on imported resources.

I believe that my national ministerial experience has prepared me for the challenges of working on this portfolio.I have been a minister in a government for whom sustainability and the protection of the environment is a key policy, and one that was absolutely essential for my ministerial portfolio of tourism. Fisheries have been a central policy area for my country for obvious reasons and the balancing of the interests of protection of the marine environment and the sustainability of the fishing industry is one that I fully understand.On the maritime side, all of my ministerial and private sector experience is relevant to the work of developing the blue economy and working with colleagues across the Commission to maximise the synergies with all relevant policy areas to achieve this goal.I am a convinced European, having voted for my country's accession and, more recently, as a minister in a pro-European government led by a former member of the European Parliament.

Throughout my political life I have been guided by the same values and principles, which I would consider fundamentally European: the principles of democracy, solidarity, of equality between men and woman, human dignity and non-discrimination, and the social market economy.My experience has led me to understand that nothing is ever perfect and that there are always changes that can improve the way things are done. If confirmed, I hope to bring this perspective to my work as Commissioner, working with you to face the challenges ahead; finding solutions that will increase support from our citizens and strengthen the legitimacy of the EU in their eyes.In order to do this, I believe it is essential for the Commission to fully play its role as the guardian of the treaties,

With this perspective in mind, I commit myself to frame my decisions in the general interest of the Union and to act in an independent manner in line with the provisions of Article 17(3) of the Treaty on European Union, Article 245 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Code of Conduct for Commissioners.I shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or other institution, body, office or entity. I will be loyal to the Union, and moreover, to its citizens, which you represent.I also commit to avoid any position or situation which could create a conflict of interests with the performance of my duties. I have duly completed my declaration of interest, which is publicly accessible and commit myself to update it immediately should there be any changes and to inform the President of the Commission if, at any time in the course of my duties, I become aware of any potential conflict of interest.