Commissie herschikt opnieuw topambtenaren (en)

The Commission has taken today, upon a proposal from President Barroso i and Vice-President Šefcovic i, a number of decisions in order to implement its mobility policy for Senior Staff. This is the second mobility package since the start of this Commission. This package deals with the transfer of David O'Sullivan to the function of Director General of RELEX with a view to ensure a smooth transition towards his new role of Chief Operating Officer within the European External Action Service i, as already announced by High Representative and Vice President Catherine Ashton i, the transfers of a former Director General and of a Director General to other Directorates General, the transfer of one Deputy Director General, and the promotion of one Director to a Deputy Director General function. With this package, the Commission reaffirms the principle that appointments are made on the basis of merit as a first criteria, as well as the principle of mobility.

The key objective of this package is to ensure mobility and fill a number of Director General or Deputy Directors General functions in high priority policy areas through merit based appointments.

The Commission decision deals with:

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  the mobility of David O'Sullivan to the function of Director General of DG RELEX. This move is an appropriate transitional measure with a view in particular to ensure continuity of financial management operations relating to the activities which will be transferred to the future European External Action Service, while allowing for a smooth transition towards the already announced appointment of David O'Sullivan as Chief Operating Officer of the EEAS.
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  as a result of the transfer of David O'Sullivan, the Commission ensures the filling of the vacancy in the TRADE Directorate General through the mobility of Jean-Luc Demarty, currently Director General in the Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate General.
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  the mobility of José Silva Rodríguez, formerly Director General of DG Research, to the Agricultural and Rural Development Directorate General.
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  the transfer of Nadia Calviño, from the Competition Directorate General where she is currently Deputy Director General, to the Internal Market and Services Directorate General, and the promotion of Gert-Jan Koopman, currently Director in DG ECFIN, to the position of Deputy Director General in DG COMP, where he will be responsible for State Aid policy in that function.

The principles underlying this mobility round are the ones spelled out in previous Commission decisions of the same nature. Merit is the dominant criterion in decisions on senior appointments. This is coupled with a search for the best possible match between Commissioners and Directors-General. The Commission also strives to ensure an adequate balance of nationalities across its DGs and Services whilst at the same time ensuring sufficient gender balance.

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  The College decided on the same occasion to modify the organisation charts of a number of Directorates General. Among the decisions is the merger of DG EuropeAid (AIDCO) and DG Development (DEV) to a new Directorate-General "EuropeAid Development and Co-operation Directorate-General" (DG DEVCO); the College furthermore decided the creation of a new Commission "Foreign Policy Instruments Service", which will be under the political authority of Baroness ASHTON in her role as Commission Vice-President. The organisation chart package also included decisions on substantive reorganisations of the Directorates General for "Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion" (EMPL) and "Research and Innovation" (RTD).