Brussels, 09/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 9 January, on a recommendation from the Council of the European Union, the European Central Bank (ECB) approved the appointment of Sabine Lautenschläger of Germany as a new member of the ECB Executive Board, to replace Jörg Asmussen (see EUROPE 10992).
The ECB Governing Council adopted an opinion on a recommendation of the Council of the EU concerning the appointment of a new member of the ECB Executive Board. The ECB explains in a press release: “The Governing Council has no objections to the proposed candidate, Sabine Lautenschläger, who is a person of recognised standing and professional experience in monetary or banking matters, as required by Article 283(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union”.
Lautenschläger, who is currently vice-president of the Bundesbank, Germany's central bank, is to be heard by the European Parliament's committee on economic affairs this coming Monday in Strasbourg, from 6.00pm.
Once the opinions of the Governing Council and the European Parliament have been given, the decision regarding Lautenschläger's appointment will be taken by the European Council, with only representatives of eurozone countries voting.
Lautenschläger's name was put forward by Berlin end December. Jörg Asmussen, who is responsible for international relations within the ECB, had, in December, chosen to leave his post in order to become secretary of state for labour in the coalition government formed after the German legislative elections, from which Chancellor Angela Merkel obtained a third mandate. (LC/transl.jl)