The European Commission has decided on Wednesday 29 May, to appoint the Danish Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, currently the head of Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager's private office, to the position of Director-General in its energy department (DG Energy) as of 1 August, following Mr Dominique Ristori's retirement on 31 July.
The institution has also decided to appoint Sabine Weyand, currently Deputy Chief Negotiator of the Task Force for the preparation and conduct of the negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 TEU ("Article 50 Task Force"), to the position of Director-General of its trade department (DG Trade). Ms Weyand will take up her new duties on 1 June and succeed Jean-Luc Demarty, who will continue to advise and support President Jean-Claude Juncker and the Secretary General regarding the implementation of the EU-US Joint Statement agreed by Mr Juncker and Mr Trump on 25 July 2018 (see EUROPE 12260/22).
Finally, the Commission has decided to appoint the Belgian Pascal Leardini to the position of Deputy Secretary General and the Commission’s Chief Operating Officer as of 1 June. Mr Leardini has held this position in an acting capacity since the appointment of Ms Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen as head of the Directorate-General of its Communication department (DG COMM) earlier this year.
A mediator. The Commission has also decided to appoint, with immediate effect, Mr Giovanni Fracchia, as the Commission's Mediator in the Secretariat-General. He will be in charge of alternative dispute resolution within the Commission. Mr Fracchia, an Italian national, joined the Commission in 1990 and is a medical doctor. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)