Brussels, 03/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - On a proposal from President Prodi, the European Commission today proceeded with a number of changes in its "central structures", in particular those making up the Presidency's entourage:
- Secretary General Mr Carlo Trojan will leave his post on 1 June. Effective 1 September, he will head the Commission's Delegation in Geneva, which deals inter alia with the WTO;
- Mr David O'Sullivan, currently the President's Head of Cabinet, will be the new Secretary General;
- Mr Michel Petite, currently Deputy Head of Cabinet to the President, will become Head of Cabinet, with responsibility for following the work of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) negotiating institutional reform. Meetings of Heads of Cabinet will be chaired by either Mr Petite or Mr Manservisi;
- The current spokesman, Mr Riccardo Levi, will head the Economic and Political Council, the new body replacing the Forward Planning Unit but with more specific and broader responsibilities;
- The Head of the Press and Communication Service, Mr Jonathan Faull, will serve as interim spokesman.
Speaking to the press, Mr Prodi said these changes were being made in the context of improvement of the Commission's operation, especially with a view to making possible close co-ordination between the structures closest to the President, in harmony with the administrative reform in progress. According to the President, in seven and a half months of activity, the Commission has worked well and accomplished a great deal, and is "recovering" its role among the institutions, as seen at the Lisbon Summit. This movement now has to be speeded up; the decisions taken must contribute thereto and the President assumes full responsibility for it. Answering questions from the press, Mr Prodi added the following explanations.
New tasks of the Economic and Political Council chaired by Ricardo Levi
The President's responses concerned:
- Transformation of the Forward Planning Unit. The College of Commissioners decided to change the role and responsibilities of this unit, which, to start, will take the name "Economic and Political Council". Instead of focusing on general forward studies, it will have the job of preparing decisions on common policies in greater detail and assisting the Commission President in all his decisions. This move is meant to "strengthen the Commission's capability for political analysis" and to make decision-making support available to the President. The Council's Director, Ricardo Levi, will keep his present administrative status, outside the statutory system for European civil servants; nothing requires the Economic and Political Council to be headed by an "internal civil servant";
- Secretary General Mr Trojan requested a change of assignment, seeking a move to the area of external relations. A Director General has not yet been named in this sector, but the appointment of a Dane is in the works. The role of the Commission's Head of Delegation in Geneva is particularly important, given the development of relations with the WTO;
- The spokesman. The appointment of Jonathan Faull is tentative because the relationship between the President and his Spokesman must first be tested day to day, on the job. The final decision will be taken before the summer holidays. The tentative nature of the decision by no means calls into question Mr Faull's personal qualities.
