De Commissie creëert twee nieuwe Directoraten-generaal en herschikt Hoger Management (en)

Source: European Commission (EC) i, published on Wednesday, June 2 2010.

The Commission has taken today, upon a proposal from President Barroso i and Vice-President Å efcovic, a number of decisions in order to implement its mobility policy for Senior Staff. This is the first mobility package since the start of this Commission. This package deals with the mobility of Senior Managers at Director General level who have reached five years or more in their present job, with the transfer of one Director-General having the same nationality as his current Commissioner, and the transfer and promotion of three Deputy Directors-General to Director General functions. With this package, the Commission, while reaffirming the principle that appointments are made on the basis of merit as a first criterion, ensures the promotion of two female Senior Officials to Director General functions. This package is adopted at the same time as the creation of two new Directorates General, splitting the former Justice, Freedom and Security Directorate General. The two new Directorates General are DG Home Affairs and DG Justice, and their respective Directors General are appointed in the context of the package.

The key objective of this mobility package is to fill a number of Director-General functions in high priority policy areas, including the two newly created DG Home Affairs and DG Justice, and promote Senior Officials to Directorate-General functions, based primarily on the assessment of their merit. Two out of the three promotions concern female Senior Officials. The Commission decision deals with:

  • - 
    the mobility of two Senior Officials in Director-General functions who have reached five years in their present job, Jonathan Faull (from DG JLS to DG MARKT) and Stefano Manservisi (from DG DEV to the newly created DG HOME AFFAIRS).
  • - 
    the mobility of one Senior Official who has the same nationality as the Commissioner responsible for the Directorate-General of which he is currently the Director-General. Fokion Fotiadis is therefore transferred from DG MARE to DG DEV, thus applying the standard policy that as a general rule, the Commissioner and the Director-General responsible for the same Directorate General should not have the same nationality.
  • - 
    the transfer and promotion of three Deputy Director Generals to the function of Director General, Lowri Evans, Françoise Le Bail and Robert-Jan Smits. Lowri Evans moves from DG COMP to DG MARE, Françoise Le Bail from DG ENTR to DG JUSTICE, Robert-Jan Smits from DG JRC to DG RTD.

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 promoting better gender balance. This mobility round therefore aims to ensure:

  • - 
    The best balance of merit, competence and management effectiveness: The emphasis placed on relevant management qualifications and experience seeks to guarantee that officials can deliver effectively in their new function.
  • - 
    Geographical balance: The Commission aims to maintain a broad geographical balance in order to ensure a fair spread of all the nationalities and does not, therefore, apply quotas at any level of posts for its officials. The Commission considers it a desirable objective that each nationality should hold at least one Director-General or equivalent function. The Appointing Authority will take particular account of geographical balance also with regard to the state of play in the recruitment of senior officials from the new Member States.
  • - 
    Gender balance: In making appointments, the Appointing Authority will, in principle, give priority to women where it finds, after conducting an assessment, that candidates are of equal merit.
  • - 
    The Commission reaffirms its attachment to the principle that mobility should apply as a general rule to all senior officials who have occupied the same function for five successive years. In exceptional circumstances officials may be required to remain in function beyond this period within the maximum of seven years.

Read more ...