Brussels, 03/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA) has appointed Maarten Haijer of the Netherlands as its new secretary general, the organisation has announced in a press release. He takes over from Sigrid Ligné, whom he had served since 2008 as Director of the Legal Affairs, and who is leaving the association. Haijer was previously an adviser to the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU on the “Single Market” and “Consumer Protection” dossiers. He also has professional experience in EU/WTO relations at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. One of the key dossiers being dealt with by EGBA is the European Commission's action plan on online betting and gambling, which looks at the future of the sector, its framework within the EU27 and ways of fighting fraud in sports gambling and preventing gambling addiction (see EUROPE 10716). (SP/transl.fl)