Brussels, 24/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has implemented the developments on mobility of senior staff announced in January. On Wednesday the Commission decided to transfer13 Directors-General (DG) and Deputy DGs (DDG) to new posts from 1st July or in some cases, and for operational reasons from 1st September. Seven other senior posts will be filled after publication of vacancy notices with 2 of those vacancies being published inside and outside the Commission. Today's decisions will mean that the Commission will shortly fulfil its commitment that, by the end of 2002, no DG or DDG should have been in the same post for longer than seven years.
The Commission has made the following appointments: Alexander Schaub, German, 60 years old, currently DG of Competition, becomes DG of the Internal Market Directorate General on 1 September 2002; Philip Lowe, British, 54 years old, formerly DG of Development and currently acting Deputy Secretary-General, becomes DG of the Competition Directorate-General on 1 September 2002; Fabio Colasanti, Italian, 55 years old, currently DG of Enterprise, becomes DG of the Information Society Directorate General on 1 July 2002; Jean-Paul Mingasson, French, 60 years old, currently DG of Budget, becomes DG of the Enterprise Directorate General on 1 July 2002; Robert Verrue, French, 54 years old, currently DG of Information Society, becomes DG of the Tax and Customs Union Directorate-General on 1 July 2002; Michel Vanden Abeele, Belgian, 59 years old, currently DG of Tax and customs Union, becomes DG of the Translation Service on 1 July 2002; John Mogg, British, 58 years old, currently DG of Internal Market, becomes "Hors Classe" Advisor in this Directorate-General on 1 September 2002; Steffen Smidt, Danish, 56 years old, currently DG of Fisheries Policy, becomes "Hors Classe" Advisor in this Directorate-General on the date that his successor takes up his post; Bernhard Zepter, German, 57 years old, currently Deputy Secretary-General, becomes "Hors Classe" Advisor in the Secretariat-General on 1 May 2002; Gianfranco Rocca, Italian, 61 years old, currently Deputy Director-General of Competition, will continue as a DDG and will take charge of all antitrust activities (Directorates C to F) and of the reform of this sector on 1 May 2002; Jean-François Pons, French, 52 years old, currently Deputy Director-General of Competition, becomes "Hors Classe" Advisor on 1 May 2002; Athanassios Theodorakis, Greek, 48 years old, currently Deputy Director-General of Development, becomes "Hors Classe" advisor on 1 July 2002, the date of the abolition of this DDG post; David Roberts, British, 60 years old, currently Deputy Director-General of Agriculture, becomes "Hors Classe advisor" on the date that his successor takes up the post.
In addition, the Commission has decided to publish the following posts: Director General of Budget. The post will be published inside the Commission, on 3 May 2002; Director-General of Fisheries Policy. The post will be published inside the Commission on 3 May 2002; Deputy Director-General post in the Competition DG, dealing with state aids. The post will be published inside the Commission on 3 May 2002; Deputy Director-General post in the Competition DG, dealing with mergers. The post will be published inside the Commission on 3 May 2002; Deputy Director-General of Agriculture, in charge of rural development, budget and finances. The post will be published both inside and outside the Commission on 3 May 2002; Deputy Director-General of Research, in charge of the European Research Area. This new post will be published both inside and outside the Commission on 3 May 2002; Deputy Secretary-General of the Commission, in charge of relations with Council and Parliament. The post will be published inside the Commission on 3 May 2002; Note: the Commission decided last week to publish the post of Director-General of the External Relations DG and two of the Deputy Director-General posts in that DG (one for Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and South Mediterranean; the other for Asia and Latin America), both inside and outside the Commission.