Commission appoints new Deputy Head of the European Political Strategy Centre

Mihnea Motoc has had a distinguished career in Romania's diplomatic service and government, having been Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1999 to 2001 as well as Permanent Representative to the United Nations² from 2003 to 2008 and to the European Union³ from 2008 to 2015. From 2015 to 2017 he served as Romania's Minister of National Defence.

In light of his vast experience and strong network in Brussels and across Europe, Mihnea Motoc will provide valuable strategic advice to President Jean-Claude Juncker⁴ and the relevant Members of the College.

Mihnea Motoc will join the European Political Strategy Centre⁵ on 16 May, in time to contribute to the up-coming Commission Reflection Paper on the future of European defence.

Making Europe a stronger global actor when it comes to security and defence matters is one of President Jean-Claude Juncker's Political Priorities.

Background

The European Political Strategy Centre is the European Commission¹'s in-house think tank, established in November 2014 by President Jean-Claude Juncker. Tasked with a mission to innovate and disrupt, the European Political Strategy Centre provides the President and the College of Commissioners with evidence-based analysis and forward-looking policy advice on matters at the heart of Europe's strategic agenda until 2025 and beyond.

The European Political Strategy Centre is headed by Ann Mettler. Mr Motoc will join her and her team as Deputy Head in addition to Paweł Świeboda who has been Deputy Head of the European Political Strategy Centre since 1 July 2015.

For More Information

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  The European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC)

IP/17/1120

• 1. 

  The European Commission is the executive body of the EU and runs its day-to-day business. It is made up of the College of Commissioners, 27 European Commissioners, one for each member state, who are each responsible for one or several policy areas. In addition, the 'Commission' also refers to the entire administrative body that supports the Commissioners, consisting of the Directorates-General and the Services.
   
• 2. 

  De Verenigde Naties (VN) zijn een mondiale organisatie van overheden, samenwerkend op het gebied van internationaal recht, mondiale veiligheid, behoud van humanitaire rechten, ontwikkeling van de wereldeconomie en het onderzoek naar sociaal-maatschappelijke en culturele ontwikkelingen.
   
• 3. 

  De Europese Unie (EU) is het belangrijkste samenwerkingsverband in Europa. De deelnemende landen hebben voor deze Unie een aantal organisaties opgericht waaraan zij een deel van hun eigen bevoegdheden hebben overgedragen. Dit zijn onder meer het Europees Parlement, de Europese Commissie, de Raad en het Europese Hof van Justitie.
   
• 4. 

  Jean-Claude Juncker (1945) is the president of the European Commission. Juncker is a member of the Luxembourg party Christian Social People's Party (CVP), which is aligned with the European People's Party. Juncker server as prime minister of Luxembourg for nearly twenty years.
   
• 5. 

  The European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC) reports directly to the President and operates under his authority. It is composed of a professional staff of advisers, policy analysts and support staff with appropriate experience and track record, in order to provide professional and targeted policy advice to the President and the College.
  EPSC provides strategic analysis and policy advice for the President on matters related to the policy priorities (as defined by the President in his political guidelines presented to the European parliament on July 15 2014), and outreach to decision-makers, think tanks and civil society at large.
  The EPSC provides support to the President also on concrete initiatives, as well as policy advice of more long-term nature.