23/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - Appointments. On 23 October, the European Commission announced that Karl Soukup has been appointed director of state aid, research, development, innovation and decision implementation at the Directorate General for Competition. The Austrian was formerly head of the unit responsible for merger control in the field of financial services, chemicals and healthcare industries, after working as a case officer for state aid for services and public enterprises. From 2012 to 2013, he was an interim director. He starts in his new job on 1 November 2013. (FG/transl.fl)