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International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response: this is the portfolio offered to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Rumiana Jeleva in the new European Commission 27 November 2009 The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Rumiana Jeleva was informed with an official letter from the President of the European Commission Mr. José Manuel Durao Barroso about her portfolio in the future European Commission. The letter specifies: “You will be the Commissioner responsible for humanitarian aid and for crisis response. In addition, you will also have concrete tasks in the sphere of international cooperation, which will be set by me and/or by the High Representative/ Vice President of the Commission.” This is an innovative portfolio that combines civil protection instruments with emergency intervention, Mr. Barroso stressed. “You will be responsible for the humanitarian aid, which is one of the most important and visible ways in which the EU can fulfil its global commitments. The present tasks of the Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (DH ECHO) will be upgraded by recognising that goal as an autonomous policy in the Treaty of Lisbon and by enhancing it as an important political responsibility to abide by the principles of neutrality, impartiality and prevention of discrimination. This comprises both the effective and the timely providing of aid, as well as the respect for international humanitarian law. I would like you to combine these responsibilities also with the activities of the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) as an extremely important instrument for practical solidarity both within and outside the EU. This portfolio will require close cooperation between you and the High Representative/Vice President of the Commission, as well as with the Commissioner responsible for Home Affairs, who would be responsible for responding to crisis situations within the EU according to the MIC structure,” the letter indicates. The President of the European Commission specified that DG ECHO and two units of DG Environment would report to Dr. Rumiana Jeleva for the implementation of these obligations.