Brussels, 22/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday the Commission spokesman affirmed that at present, six of the ten accession countries had informed president Prodi of the names of their candidates as European Commissioners next May. Latvia has proposed its foreign minister, Sandra Kalniete, Poland its minister of European affairs, Danuta Huebner, Lithuania, its finance minister, Daila Grybauskaite (Mr Prodi wanted at least three women Commissioners), Slovenia its minister of European affairs, Janez Potocnik, Estonia its former prime minister, Siim Kallas and Malta its minister of foreign affairs, Joe Borg. Mr Prodi is waiting for the list of the ten candidate-commissioners to be completed by the end of the month, declared the Commission's spokesperson. The distribution of the portfolios for the new Commissioners over a period of six months (we know that they will not have their own portfolio before 1 November when the new Commission is constituted) will take place only when the ten candidates are named, added the spokesperson. The list will then be sent to the European Parliament, which will be able to prepare some "mini-hearings" for the new Commissioner between 13-16 April (EUROPE 15 January p 6 on the speech made by Romano Prodi on the candidates, who he considers are "able to stay" in the future European Commission.