The European Commission decided on Tuesday 13 December to create a new role of International Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions to ensure continuous and high-level discussions with third countries to avoid the circumvention of the unprecedented restrictive measures that have been imposed on Russia since the beginning of its war against Ukraine.
David O’Sullivan, a former Secretary-General of the Commission and senior EU diplomat, has been appointed the EU sanctions envoy and will officially take up his post in the second half of January.
David O’Sullivan’s previous positions include Chief Operating Officer of the European External Action Service, responsible for setting up the new EU diplomatic service (2010-2015) and Director General for Trade (2005-2010), where he was Chief Negotiator for the Doha Development Round.
The Commission also decided to appoint Richard Sonnenschein as Director ‘Criminal Justice’ in the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST). Mr Sonnenschein, of German and Croatian nationality, is currently Acting Director ‘Criminal Justice’ in DG JUST.
Finally, the Commission appointed Pernilla Sjölin from Sweden as Head of the Protocol Service in the Commission’s Secretariat-General (SG). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)