LISBON (Reuters) -- European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso designated Romania's deputy EU Integration Minister Leonard Orban as the new commissioner for multilingualism.

Romania had nominated Orban, an independent technocrat, after its first candidate Varujan Vosganian stepped down over the weekend following media accusations of corruption and collaboration with the communist-era secret police.

"Mr. Orban will be responsible for the portfolio of multilingualism," Barroso told reporters. "Mr. Orban was one of the main people responsible for Romania's EU accession and for that reason I am sure he will be a great member of my Commission."

Romania and its smaller neighbor Bulgaria will join the EU in January after missing the bloc's first enlargement into eastern Europe in 2004 because of the slow pace of reforms of their institutions and economic structure.

The Black Sea states are entitled to one commissioner each in the powerful Brussels executive, to be chosen jointly by the national governments and the Commission's head.

Orban, 45, was briefly Romania's chief EU entry negotiator and signed the accession treaty in April 2005. He has taken part in Romania's negotiations with the European Union since 2001.

Leading Socialist Euro MPs, whose criticisms contributed to the withdrawal of Liberal party senator Vosganian, described Orban as a "considerable improvement".

Vice-presidents of the 201-strong Socialist Group in the European Parliament, Hannes Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma, said: "The new candidate ... has the necessary European experience." The parliament must approve the appointment.