Eurogroup: Hans Vijlbrief appointed President of the Eurogroup working group
The Eurogroup today appointed Hans Vijlbrief as the new President of the Eurogroup working group (EWG).
He will take office as of 1 February 2018 and will serve a two-year term. He will succeed Thomas Wieser who was the first full-time EFC/EWG president and held the position since 2012.
The President of the Eurogroup Working Group is elected by its members and then appointed by the Eurogroup. He was elected to this position by the EWG on 15 December 2017. The office of the President of the EWG is located at the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, in Brussels.
The EWG prepares the meetings of the Eurogroup and coordinates on euro-area specific matters. It is composed of representatives of the euro-area member states of the Economic and Financial Committee, the European Commission and the European Central Bank.
Hans Vijlbrief will also serve as the President of the Economic and Financial Committee, which prepares the ECOFIN Council and promotes policy coordination among EU member states. He was elected to this position by the EFC on 15 December 2017.
Until now, Hans Vijlbrief has held numerous positions at the ministry of economic affairs and at the ministry of finance of the Netherlands. Since October 2012, he has been serving as treasurer general at the ministry of finance of the Netherlands and a principal adviser to the minister of finance of the Netherlands on Eurogroup matters.