Jeleva received strong criticism of her competence for the European Union job as International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response commissioner, over alleged nondisclosure of financial interests.
Jeleva's drop-out has brought about a two-week delay in the approval of the new European Commission, Europe's most influential executive body.
The new proposed candidate from Bulgaria, Kristalina Georgieva, will need to be approved by the European Parliament.
On Feb. 9 the European Parliament will officially vote on Jose Manuel Barroso's slate of selections for European Commission.
Portuguese Barroso, now serving his second term as president of the European Commission, had to go to great lengths to convince the European Parliament to vote him in as president last year even though he was the only candidate to become his own successor.
Having received blessings from the European Parliament in September last year, with a narrow majority, and the European Union having formed a common backbone with the approval of the much debated Lisbon Treaty, the commission is now ready to take off.
Georgieva, who is now acting as vice president of the World Bank, has been endorsed by Barroso and is the current candidate for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response commissioner.
