The European Commission appoints a new Head of Representation in Portugal
The European Commission has appointed today Ms Sofia Moreira de Sousa as the new Head of the Commission's Representation in Lisbon, Portugal. She will take office on 1 September 2021.
With over 20 years of experience in EU affairs, Ms Moreira de Sousa, a Portuguese national, is the current EU Ambassador to Cabo Verde. In this context, she has been responsible for managing the bilateral relations of the EU and Cabo Verde and leading the Team Europe local response to the pandemic.
Her professional experience gives her a robust experience in political representation, strategic communication and management. She was seconded to the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Portuguese Rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2007 and has intimate knowledge of the Portuguese political context.
Prior to her current post, she served as deputy EU Ambassador to South Africa (2014-17), adviser to the Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service and was Political Adviser to the EU Special Representative (EUSR)/EU Ambassador to the African Union in Addis Ababa as well as to the EUSR to South Caucasus. She also worked at the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, at the European Space Agency and at the European Law Academy in Trier.
Background
The Commission maintains Representations in all capitals of EU Member States, and Regional Offices in Barcelona, Bonn, Marseille, Milan, Munich and Wroclaw. The Representations are the Commission's eyes, ears and voice on the ground in EU Member States. They interact with national authorities, stakeholders and citizens, and inform the media and the public about EU policies. Heads of Representations are appointed by the President of the European Commission and are her political representatives in the Member State to which they are posted.
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