De Commissie herschikt hogere managers (en)

The Commission has taken today, upon a proposal from President Barroso and Vice-President Kallas, a number of decisions in order to implement its mobility policy for senior staff. Since the start of this Commission, this is the third mobility package involving Directors-General and Deputy Directors-General or equivalent, after major packages in November 2005 and November 2006. This package deals with the mobility of senior managers at Director-General or equivalent level who have reached, or will soon reach, five years or more in their present job. The Commission reaffirms the principle that all senior staff serve between two and five years in a single function, with a maximum of seven years. Further decisions on senior management mobility will be taken in 2009.

Today, five Directors-General (DG), seven Deputy Directors-General (DDG) and two Heads of Delegation are being transferred. In addition, five other posts at Director-General or equivalent level will be filled after publication of vacancy notices, with four of those vacancies being published internally and one externally for applicants only from Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Bulgaria and Romania (i.e. the countries for which recruitment targets at this level have not been reached yet). The Commission has furthermore created a new Directorate-General for Energy in order to respond to global challenges and better address an important policy area for the Commission.

Vice-President Kallas stressed that: "The principle of regularly moving senior managers is vital and a fundamental part of the Commission's general governance. With the challenges we face, the Commission needs to dispose of a state-of-the-art organisation and have the right senior staff in the right place, which closely fits and serves the political priorities set by the College."

Today the Commission has decided the following:

• 1. 

  Transfers to the post of Director General with immediate effect

Mr. Marco BUTI, currently Deputy Director-General in DG ECFIN, is transferred to the vacant function of Director-General of DG ECFIN with immediate effect.

Mrs. Claire-Françoise DURAND, currently Deputy Director-General in the Legal Service, is transferred to the vacant function of Director-General of the Legal Service with immediate effect.

Mr. Karl-Friedrich FALKENBERG, currently Deputy Director-General in DGÂ TRADE, is transferred to the vacant function of Director-General of DG ENV as of 1 January 2009.

• 2. 

  Transfers in 2009

Mr. Luis ROMERO REQUEÑA, currently Director-General of DG BUDG, is transferred to the function of Director-General of the Legal Service as of 1Â June 2009.

Mr. Philip LOWE, currently Director-General of DG COMP, who will reach seven years in his present function in 2009, will be transferred to another Director-General function at the latest by 1Â November 2009.

Mr. Walter DEFFAA, currently Internal Auditor of the Commission and Director-General of the IAS, is transferred to the function of Director-General of DG TAXUD as of 1 June 2009.

Mr. Eneko LANDABURU, currently Director-General of DG RELEX, is transferred to function of Head of Delegation in Morocco as of 1Â August 2009, subject to the agreement of the host country.

Mr. Robert VERRUE, currently Director-General of DG TAXUD, is transferred to the function of Director-General of DG EMPL as of 1 June 2009.

Mr. Marc FRANCO, currently Head of Delegation in Russia, is transferred to the function of Head of Delegation in Egypt as of 1 August 2009, subject to the agreement of the host country.

Mr. Fernando VALENZUELA MARZO, currently Head of the Delegation to international organisations in New York, is transferred to the function of Head of Delegation in Russia as of 1 August 2009, subject to the agreement of the host country.

Mr. Alexander ITALIANER, currently Deputy Secretary-General, is transferred to the function of Director-General of DG COMP at the latest by 1Â November 2009.

Mr. Brian GRAY, currently Accounting Officer of the Commission and Deputy Director-General in DG BUDG, is transferred to the function of Internal Auditor of the Commission and Director-General of the IAS as of 1Â June 2009.

Mr. Jan TRUSZCZYNSKI, currently Deputy Director-General in DG ELARG, is transferred to the vacant function of Deputy Director-General in DG EAC as of 1Â July 2009.

Mr. João AGUIAR MACHADO, currently Deputy Director-General in DG RELEX, is transferred to the function of Deputy Director-General in DG TRADE as of 1 January 2009.

• 3. 

  Publications

The following posts will be published internally: Director-General of DG RELEX; Accounting Officer of the Commission and Deputy Director-General of DG BUDG; Deputy Director-General of DG INFSO; and Deputy Director-General of DG RELEX.

The function of Deputy Director-General of DG ELARG will be published externally for nationals from Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Bulgaria and Romania.

• 4. 

  Other Decisions

Mrs. Claire-Françoise DURAND will be transferred to the newly created function of Hors Classe Adviser in the Legal Service as of 1Â June 2009. Note is taken of Mrs. DURAND's request for retirement on 31 July 2009.

A new Energy Directorate-General is to be created, as of 1 November 2009 at the latest. Mr. Claude CHENE, Director-General of DG ADMIN, will chair a task force with the mandate of making proposals by 1 May 2009 on the scope and structure of the new ENERGY DG.

Note to the editors:

As a general rule, all senior officials serve between two and five years in a single function with an absolute maximum of seven years.

Merit is the dominant criterion in decisions on senior officials' appointments. This is coupled with a search for the best possible match between Commissioners and Directors-General. Subject to this, the Commission respects an adequate balance of nationalities represented in the Commission’s services and the same time promotes better gender balance.

The selection procedure includes different players and interviews, which ensure the selection of the best qualified candidates according to the principles detailed above.

Acronyms of Commission DGs

For further information:

Most CVs of Commission senior managers are available on:

http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/about/who/dg_en.htm