Seven heads of representation appointed

Appointments mark an upgrading of the importance attached to the heads of representation.

Anne Houtman, a Belgian national, has been appointed to head the European Commission’s representation in Paris. She was among seven appointments to head representations in the EU’s member states announced on Tuesday (13 July). But the Commission’s representation in London, most recently headed by a Finn, is once more to be headed by a Briton, Jonathan Scheele.

Collectively, the appointments mark an upgrading of the importance attached to the heads of representation. Whereas previously those appointed have tended to be at head of unit level, all but one of those appointed this week are at director level or above. (The exception is Barbara Nolan, appointed to the Dublin post.)

A spokesman for Commissioner Viviane Reding said: “The Commission wants to show that it is committed to strengthening its partnership with the member states.”

Greek post

The head of the representation in Athens is to be Panayotis Carvounis, currently the deputy director-general for communication. Ironically, the post was vacant only because the earlier appointment of Ierotheos Papadopoulos was annulled by the European civil service tribunal. The tribunal found fault with the appointment procedures, with which Carvounis had been involved, since he conducted the initial screening of candidates.

Four of the seven appointed are women. Houtman is currently a director in the energy department, having previously worked in the internal market department and as deputy head of the office of Romano Prodi, then Commission president.

Scheele has spent most of his career working on trade and transport issues, though he also headed the Commission’s delegation in Bucharest in 2001-06.

Fact File

WHO GOES WHERE

Athens, Greece: Panayotis Carvounis (1 November)
Dublin, Ireland: Barbara Nolan (1 October)
London, UK: Jonathan Scheele (1 August)
Paris, France: Anne Houtman (1 September)
Prague, Czech Republic: Jan Michal (1 September)
Vilnius, Lithuania: Natalija Kazlauskiene (1 September)
Warsaw, Poland: Ewa Synowiec (1 October)

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