In August 2011, the Euro Area Member States and the European Commission designated 3 out of the 7 members appointed to the Council of Experts by the Board of Directors of the then-just-created Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund. Among the candidates put forward by several Euro Area Member States, Ms Bubenikova had been selected based on her professional experience and expertise in the field of privatisation. At the time, she was Chair of the Slovak National Property Fund.

Following allegations of corruption, the Slovakian authorities earlier this year dismissed Ms Bubenikova from the Slovak National Property Fund. So far however, to the Commission knowledge, the Slovak authorities have not started any legal proceedings or any formal investigation concerning Ms Bubenikova.

The Commission takes note of the resignation of Ms Bubenikova from the Council of Economic Experts, communicated on 9 August 2012. The Commission recalls that it subscribes to the fundamental principle of “innocent until proven guilty”.