Commissioner Androula Vassiliou, replacing Markos Kyprianou as Commissioner from Cyprus, made a strong impression at the hearing of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. European Liberals and Democrats welcomed the Commissioner's political commitment to bring forward a revised cross border health directive in June that will strengthen patient's rights without prejudicing the integrity of national health services.

ALDE Group Leader Graham Watson MEP (LibDem, UK):  "I am very pleased that Androula Vassiliou gave an intelligent and robust presentation to the European Parliament. She is clearly a politician of courage and conviction with a wide experience who will make a very good Commissioner".

ALDE spokesperson on the environment committee Chris Davies (LibDem, UK) said: "She is taking a crash course in EU health policy. No doubt she will pass the test and confidently defend her policy proposals around the Commission table."

Jules Maaten (VVD, Netherlands), ALDE spokesperson on health issues, said: "She made a strong impression and already knows her dossiers well. She will definitely be an added value to the current Commission and the health policy in the EU."

Her Cypriot compatriot Marios Matsakis, member of the ENVI Committee was also impressed: "Ms Vassiliou answered over 60 questions from a cross-section of MEPs with vigour and a smile. She has impressed everyone with her competent and thoughtful replies. There is no doubt that she will make a first-class commissioner in raising the standard of public health across the community in a broad range of areas from cancer screening to patient rights."