Member of the cabinet of the Commission president José Manuel Barroso
Tel. +32.2.296.57.30
Ms Martínez Alberola graduated in law from the University of Valencia. In 1987 she obtained a diploma in Community law from the College of Europe in Bruges and in 1989 the licence spéciale en droit européen from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. In 1991 she entered the European Commission in DG III Internal Market and Industry. During her first years in the Commission, from 1991 to 1996, she was responsible for the application of the EC Treaty rules on free circulation of goods. Her main duties concerned the application of different aspects of Community legislation to industrial products. Subsequently, from 1997 to 2000 she was in charge of the coordination of enlargement issues within DG III. In April 2000 she entered the pharmaceutical unit of DG Enterprise dealing with the application of Community legislation on pharmaceutical products. In July 2000 she was appointed deputy head of the pharmaceuticals unit and in January 2005 she was promoted to head of the pharmaceuticals unit. Since February 2005 she has been member of the office of President José Manuel Barroso, focusing on justice, freedom and security, environment, sustainable development, health and consumer protection, legal issues, infringements and biotechnology issues.
Principal advisor in the cabinet of the Commission president José Manuel Barroso
Tel.: +32.2.292.06.84
Since 2005 Ms Martin has been a principal adviser to the president of the European Commission, responsible among other things for: enlargement and the Western Balkans, employment, social affairs and equal opportunities, science and research, education, training, culture and multilingualism. She graduated with a law degree in 1970 from the University of Lisbon. Ms Martinho has had a legal career heavily involved in institutional and/or governmental affairs. In 1975, she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Portugal. Having gained four years of practical knowledge in the area of international relations, in 1979 she was posted to the Portuguese mission to the United Nations in New York. She returned to Lisbon when the Portuguese government offered her the reputable job of diplomatic adviser to the Prime Minister (1985-1991). She then became chief of cabinet in the Ministry of Finance in 1991. Three years later, she was promoted to a more diplomatic role as the head of the UN Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1991-1993). Having a desire to focus more specifically on European relations, she was posted to the senior role of deputy director-general for European affairs in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (1996-1998). Experienced in the role of director-general, she moved departments twice within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, firstly to work in the department of administration for one year (1998-1999) and then in the department of multilateral affairs (1999-2001). Ms Martinho was recognised for her outstanding work for the Portuguese government and was made Ambassador in the Permanent Representative of Portugal to the OECD in Paris in 2001. A year later she became the ambassador of Portugal in Prague.
Member of the cabinet of the Commission president José Manuel Barroso
Tel. +32.2.298.81.56
Ms Servulo Correia was educated in Portugal where she obtained a degree in translation from the Instituto Superior de Línguas e Administração where she also completed her postgraduate studies. She started her professional career at a law firm in Lisbon, working mainly in the juridical and economic fields, coordinating legal and technical translation from 1988 to 1991. In July 1991 she was appointed to work at the cabinet of the secretary of state for foreign affairs and co-operation. In 1992 she was invited to work as member of cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Barroso. From 1996 to 1999 she worked for a Portuguese private economic group. From 1999 to 2002 she was member of cabinet of the President of Partido Social Democrata, Portugal. In 2002 she was invited to join the Cabinet of Prime Minister José Manuel Barroso as member of Cabinet. From August to November 2004 she was member of the transition team of the Commission’s President-designate, and since November 2004 she has been member of Mr Barroso’s cabinet. Ms Servulo Correia is the personal assistant to the President responsible for the President’s agenda and correspondence and for relations with civil society and NGOs.
Deputy head of the cabinet of Commission president José Manuel Barroso
Tel. +32.2.295.01.69
Mr Thébault is the deputy head of cabinet for the President José Manuel Barroso, where he is responsible for assistance on management and coordination, strategic planning and programming, financial programming and budget, financial perspectives, agriculture and rural development, personnel and administration, the transparency initiative, internal audit, anti-fraud and security. Mr Thébault completed his studies in France obtaining an licencié en droit publique in 1974 and a diplômé d’études supérieures en droit internationale in 1975. He started his professional career in the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (Office of Deposit and Consignments) in Paris in 1976, where he was a investigation officer in the department of loans. In December 1979 he joined consultancy firm SINORG, where he was responsible for reforming public institutions and structural adjustment programs for international financial institutions. Mr Thébault joined the European Commission in January 1984 as an administrator, then as a principal administrator in the unit responsible for the general management of fiscal control. He was responsible for the control of agrarian expenses, and participated in the creation of the European Anti-Fraud Office (UCLAF, which later became OLAF). In October 1989 he became director of the common agrarian policy unit responsible for the general management of budgets. He was also the deputy head of cabinet to Mr Yves Thibault de Silguy, European Commissioner in charge of economic, financial and monetary affairs. During this period (January 1995-June 2000) he worked a great deal on the launch of the Euro. From June 2000, he became the director of what is now known as the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) reporting directly to the president of the Commission. In June 2000, he became the director of financial institutions, where he is in charge of the internal markets unit responsible for implementing a plan of action for financial services intended to promote coherence in EU banking, insurance, and financial conglomerates and systems of payment. In November 2004, he became the principal adviser in the cabinet of Mr Barroso and was promoted to the deputy head of cabinet in May 2006.
DG AGRICULTURE
Head of the cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development
Tel. +32.2.296.35.32
Mr Skytte Christoffersen graduated from Copenhagen University with a masters in economics and from the European College in Bruges in 1973. From 1973 to 1977 he served at the ministry of foreign affairs in Copenhagen and at the same time was a lecturer at Copenhagen University. Becoming first secretary at the Embassy of the Permanent Representation of Denmark to the EC from 1977 to 1980, he subsequently became head of cabinet to the secretary-general of the Council of the European Union. After 14 years in that position he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen. After a year, he returned to Brussels where he became ambassador for the permanent representation of Denmark to the European Union from 1995 to 2003. As such he was the president of the Permanent Representatives Committee in the second semester of 2002 and EU chief negotiator at the level of officials in the final phase of enlargement negotiations in 2002. From 2003 to 2005 he was also ambassador at the Royal Danish Embassy in Rome. Since 2004 he has been a professor at Copenhagen Business School. Today he is head of cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, with a predominant focus on strategy and coordination, security, personnel, administration and contacts with directors-general.
Deputy head of the cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development
Tel. +32.2.299.40.11
Mr Borchardt is deputy head of the cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, particularly focusing on common agricultural policy (CAP), trade and risk management. He obtained his first degree in law (the state examination) in Hamburg in 1979. From 1979 to 1985 he was a research assistant at the Institute for Integrational Studies in Hamburg. After completing a law traineeship at the Hanseatische Oberlandesgericht in Hamburg in 1985 he obtained the second state examination, before completing his Dr. jur. in June 1985 from the Free University of Berlin. His doctoral thesis was awarded the Ernst-Reuter Prize. From 1985 to 1987 he was a university assistant at the faculties of law and political science at the Free University of Berlin. Mr Borchardt embarked on his institutional career in 1987 when he joined DG Employment Social Affairs and Education as a desk officer. In 1989 he became member of the Commission’s Legal Service, in the department of agriculture, before joining the cabinet of the German judge at the European Court of Justice in Luxemburg in 1990. A chief administrator with the Legal Service’s department of agriculture from 1994 to 1998, he subsequently worked at the department of state aid control from 1998 to 2001. From 2001 to 2004 he was head of the legal department of DG Agriculture. Mr Borchardt is a professor at the Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg, Germany.
Member of the cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development
Tel. +32.2.295.22.28
Ms do Rosário Bento Pais is a member of the cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, responsible for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), competition policy (excluding state aid), infringement procedures, legal service, environment, internal market and services, transport, energy and outermost regions. Ms do Rosário Bento Pais obtained a masters in international relations from the Universidade do Minho, Portugal, in 1995 and a masters in European judicial studies from the European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht, in 1998. From 1995 to 1996 she held a Robert Schumann Scholarship at the European Parliament, Luxembourg. From 1996 to 2002 she worked for the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and from 1996 to 1999 she was chancellor at the Portuguese Embassy, Luxembourg. In 2000 she became councillor and assistant to the deputy permanent representative at the Portuguese Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and was seconded as a national expert to DG Environment’s department of international affairs, trade and environment where she dealt with bilateral agreements, was OECD desk officer, and gave legal advice on international negotiations from 2000 to 2002. Before joining the cabinet and from 2002 to 2004 she worked as an administrator in DG Environment’s department of international agreements and trade: working on legal and institutional affairs and international negotiations.
Member of the cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development
Tel. +32.2.295.00.15
Ms Næsager is a member of cabinet of Mariann Fischer Boel, where her responsibilities include the common agricultural policy (CAP), employment and social affairs, justice, freedom and security, competition policy, equal opportunities (including women in agriculture), relations with the Ombudsman and petitions. She holds a masters in law from the University of Copenhagen (1989) and a licence spéciale in European law from the institut d’études européennes at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (1993). She furthered her legal education by completing a PhD at the University of Copenhagen in 1994. In 1989 she was recruited to work in the Danish Ministry of Justice’s Directorate for Foreigners (1989-1991). She joined the European Commission in 1994 where she worked in DG Competition’s directorate for state aid (November 1994- September 1998). Then she became a member of the cabinet of Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard, before re-joining DG Competition in the Merger Task Force (September 1999-November 2000) and then moved to DG for Agriculture and Rural Development where she was a legal adviser in agricultural law (November 2000-May 2005).
DG TAXATION
Deputy head the cabinet of László Kovács, European Commissioner for taxation and customs union
Tel.: +32 2 29 68806
Ms Gago-Filori joined the team of Commissioner László Kovács after being a member of the cabinet of Commissioner Antonio Vitorino, where her portfolio included relations with other institutions (especially the European Parliament), international and enlargement issues, fundamental rights and a number of collegial matters. She also assisted the Commissioner during the Convention on the Future of Europe and has a solid experience in international competence issues and bilateral relations, specifically with the US. During almost nine years in DG Environment, she participated in a number of major international negotiations, in particular on climate change, including the Kyoto process, access to information and trans-boundary movements of chemicals and waste. She was also responsible for bilateral relations with a number of third countries, working as desk officer for the USA, the Commission’s representative at the OECD Environmental Committee and exercising, for two years, the tasks of deputy head of unit. After a spell in the Legal Service, she moved to DG Justice and Home Affairs, where she was responsible for enlargement negotiations, legal/institutional matters in the field of external relations and relations with the Council of Europe. Anabela Gago-Filori joined the Commission with the accession of Portugal in 1986, just after acquiring her law degree in Lisbon. In Brussels, she obtained a masters degree in European law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and studied international relations at the Centre d’Etudes de Relations Internationales. Working for some time also as a translator at the Commission, she speaks Portuguese, French, English, German, and Spanish fluently.
Member of the cabinet of László Kovács, European Commissioner for taxation and customs union
Tel.: 32 2 29 50506
Mr Marján has several years experience of working with economic and financial matters. Before joining the cabinet of László Kovács, European Commissioner for taxation and the customs union, he worked in these matters under Commissioner Péter Balázs. Since 1999 he worked at Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the European Union as the head of the economic and financial unit. He graduated in law and economics at Budapest University of Economics, where he took a doctorate and is currently finalising a second doctorate at the Free University of Brussels.
Member of the cabinet of László Kovács, European Commissioner for taxation and customs union
Tel.: +32 2 29 54313
Before joining the cabinet of Commissioner László Kovács Ms Scoppio worked as a lawyer in Rome, and as a fiscal consultant in the tax and legal department of Arthur
Andersen in Brussels before moving to the legal unit of the department for taxation and the customs union within the European Commission. Ms Scoppio graduated in law from the LUISS University in Rome. In addition, she earned an LLM in European legal studies from the College of Europe in BrugesBrussels. She also obtained a PhD in European tax law from the Università degli Studi di Bologna. In addition to her native Italian, she speaks English, French, Spanish and has a working knowledge of German and Russian. and a DESS from the Ecole Supérieure de Sciences Fiscales in
Member of the cabinet of László Kovács, European Commissioner for taxation and customs union
Tel.: +32 2 29 50506
Ms Török was the attaché of the Hungarian Permanent Representation in Brussels, responsible for social, employment and audiovisual policy as well as culture from 1997. She has degrees in law from the Eötvös Lóránd University in Budapest and the Universidad de la Habana. In addition to her native Hungarian, she speaks English, French and Spanish. Her current responsibilities include strategic planning and programming, governance, simplification and better regulation, tobacco excise duties, external relations, enlargement and the Western Balkans, new neighbourhood policy, employment and social policy, health policy and biotechnology.
DG DEVELOPMENT
Member of the cabinet of Louis Michel, European commissioner for development policy and humanitarian aid
Tel.: +32 2 298 44 02
Mr Levie is a member of the cabinet of Louis Michel, the Commissioner for development policy and humanitarian aid. A law graduate from the University of Saint-Louis Faculties, Brussels (1987-1989), he furthered his legal studies by completing a licentiate in law at Jura Falco Kuleuven, whilst completing this degree as an extra-curricular activity he was the editor of the university’s journal, ‘The Faculty of Law Review’. He then completed a licentiate in economics at Université Catholique de Louvain. Having been awarded a scholarship from the Belgian American Educational Foundation, he moved to the US law from the University of Chicago law school (1993-1994). In 1993, he joined DG Competition as a trainee in the financial services unit where he worked for one year. In 1994 he joined the US firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Brussels’ office where he worked on transactions and provided regulatory advice, which included aspects of competition law. He left for the US again in 1997, joining the firm’s New York office where he was responsible for financing projects of large European firms in US capital markets. After spending one year in New York, he rejoined the Brussels’ office where he continued working for the firm until 2001, when he moved to DG Enterprise. There he was a policy desk officer working as a lawyer and economist responsible for policy development, inter-service coordination, external communication and legal and economic analysis of cases and of policy proposals (2001-2005). Since 2005, he has been a member of the cabinet of Louis Michel, advising on numerous important pieces of policy and legislation, including the Lisbon strategy related files for which he reviewed competition policy, the internal market and tax policy. He is also responsible for dealing with inter-institutional and legal affairs which includes infringements and OLAF. He also works on the development policy which deals with economic issues and promotion of the private sector. to complete a masters in
DG INTERNAL MARKET
Deputy head of the cabinet of Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner for internal market and services
Tel.: +32/2/296.04.99
Ms Claire Bury is deputy head of Charlie McCreevy’s cabinet, European Commissioner for internal market and services. Her main responsibilities include planning, administrative support and communication, industrial property, company law, corporate governance, financial crime, accounting and auditing. Other responsibilities include administrative affairs, audit and anti-fraud, justice, freedom and security, financial programming, budget and trade.
Member of the cabinet of Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner for internal market and services
Tel.: +32/2/299.20.87
Mr Kerstens, a member of Charlie McCreevy’s cabinet, is responsible for the relations with the European Parliament , services, institutional relations, environment, education, training, culture and multilingualism.
Member of the cabinet of Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner for internal market and services
Tel.: +32/2/292.08.98
Shane Sutherland is member of Charlie McCreevy’s cabinet responsible for legal affairs including infringements, the legal aspects of better regulation, regulated professions, and the free movement of capital. Other responsibilities include: enlargement, development and humanitarian aid, competition and transport.
DG ENVIRONMENT
Member of the cabinet of Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for environment
Tel: +32 2 29.54.474
A lawyer and a member of the cabinet of Stavros Dimas, the European Commissioner for environment, Mr Giotakos is mainly responsible for the following issues: legal implementation and enforcement, legal affairs and governance, sustainable resources, waste management, biotechnology and pesticides, environment and transport, competition and state aid, infringements, transport, institutional issues, the European Constitution, employment and social affairs.
DG HEALTH
Head of the cabinet of Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection
Tel.: (32-2) 29-69176
Mr Schinas is head of cabinet of Markos Kyprianou, the European Commissioner for health and consumer protection with a predominant focus on general coordination, relations with the spokesman’s service, European Neighbourhood Policy (with PP), enlargement, relations with the Legal Service (with DS), relations with the Secretariat General.
Member of the cabinet of Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection
Tel: (32-2) 20811
Ms Despina Spanou is member of cabinet of Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection. Within this position she is responsible for food safety: animal health and welfare, zootechnics, including international aspects – AGRI Council, relations with FVO, infringements, competition issues, transport, state aids, legal affairs, justice, freedom and home affairs and environment.
Member of the cabinet of Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection
Tel.: (32-2) 739 51 18
Mr Severis is a member of the cabinet of Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for health and consumer protection mainly focusing on: inter-institutional relations and coordination, DG SANCO Information: non media aspects – publications
relations with European Parliament, Council (GRI), relations with ECOSOC and Committee of Regions, relations with the Ombudsman, including petitions, relations with the Court of Auditors.
DG ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS, AUDIT AND ANTI-FRAUD
Member of the cabinet of Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for administrative affairs, audit and anti-fraud
Tel.: +32 2 29 88184
Ms Oen has been member of the cabinet of Vice-President Siim Kallas, Commissioner for administrative affairs, audit and anti-fraud since 2007. She obtained her degree in law from the University of Antwerp in 1981, after which she became a barrister in Antwerp. She worked as a lawyer from 1981 to 1999 and then switched to become a member of the advisory committee concerning cultural issues in the Flemish Community for another year. In 1999 she became parliamentary assistant and legal councillor of MEP Ward Beysen, and in 2002 she became press and public relations officer in the ELDR group in the European Parliament. Before joining Mr Kallas’ cabinet she was also deputy mayor in Hove, Belgium (2001-2007) and head of the leader's office in the liberal and democratic group in the European Parliament from 2002 to 2007. Her current responsibilities include relations with the European Parliament, the European Council, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of Regions and the Ombudsman, relations with other institutions and speechwriting. Her non-portfolio related issues include inter-institutional relations (GRI), transport and regional policy.
Member of the cabinet of Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for administrative affairs, audit and anti-fraud
Tel. +32 2 29 59316
Mr Fitch has been member of the cabinet Siim Kallas since 2004, where he is responsible for consolidation of administrative reform, simplification and regulatory aspects of personnel policy, security, health and safety, social dialogue, relations with staff unions, equal opportunities, disciplinary cases, internal communication of the administrative issues, OLAF’s internal investigations, staff matters, OLAF legal issues, data protection issues and the European Administrative School. He holds a degree in maths and law from Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge (1989). He started his career as a lawyer at Herbert Smith in 1989 where he stayed until he joined the UK civil service as a European fast stream lawyer in 1993. In 1999 he joined the European Commission’s Legal Service as a member of the agriculture team. Before joining the cabinet of Mr Siim Kallas, he was member of cabinet for Vice-President Neil Kinnock, the former Commissioner for Administrative Reform.
Member of the cabinet of Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for administrative affairs, audit and anti-fraud
Tel.: +32 2 29 53936
Ms Manfredi has been member of Siim Kallas’s cabinet since 2004, responsible among others issues for legal affairs, the office of infrastructure in Brussels, the office of infrastructure in Luxembourg, the paymasters office, staff appeals, social policy and infrastructure, European Schools and DG Informatics. She entered the European Commission in 1999, as a state aid expert with DG Competition. In 2000 she moved to DG Transport and Energy, where she held the position of state aid expert for another two years and in 2002 became a member of cabinet for Frits Bolkestein, the Commissioner for internal market and fiscal affairs, before moving to her present position. Ms Manfredi holds a law degree from the LUISS University, Rome, an LLM in Community law from the College of Europe, Bruges and an LLM in environmental management from ULB, Brussels.
DG COMPETITION
Member of the cabinet of Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for competition
Tel.: 32 229 90009
Ms Boix Alonso is a member of Neelie Kroes’ cabinet, responsible for merger control and anti-trust issues in the following fields: anti-trust policy coordination, international relations, application of the merger control regulation in the telecommunications and media sectors, and the application of Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty across numerous sectors. Her responsibilities outside the portfolio include the internal market, information society and media, education and culture, multilingualism, health and consumer protection.
Member of the cabinet of Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for competition
Tel.: +32 229 50941
Mr Whelan is the member of Neelie Kroes’ cabinet, responsible for merger control and antitrust issues in the fields of merger control policy coordination, the European Competition Network and the application of the merger control regulation in the following sectors: energy, water, basic industries, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, financial services, distributive trades and other services, consumer goods and foodstuffs, mechanical and other manufacturing industries. In addition, he is responsible for the application of Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty in the information industries, internet and consumer electronics sectors and for cartels. Mr Whelan was a Commission advocate who appeared in Luxembourg on behalf of the Commission – most notably in its recent Microsoft case – before taking up his current position.
Head of Unit, Directorate C - Information, communication and media- Information industries, Internet and consumer electronics, DG Competition
Tel: 32 2 29-66935
Mr Hellstrom was a Commission advocate who appeared in Luxembourg on behalf of the Commission – most notably in its recent Microsoft case – before taking up his current position.
DG EXTERNAL TRADE
Member of the cabinet of Peter Mandelson, European Commissioner for external trade
Tel: +32-2-296 01 40
Mr Haugaard is member of Mr Peter Mandelson’s cabinet, responsible for China, sectoral trade issues (other than aerospace), trade defence instruments, the internal market, enterprise and industry, audio visual/information society, infringement proceedings and competition and state aid.
DG INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
Adviser in the cabinet of Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for institutional relations and communication strategy
Tel : +32.2.2950850
Ms Berganfelt completed her graduate studies in political science at Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA in 1987 and obtained her master in laws from the University of Copenhagen in 1990. On completion of her graduate studies in 1987 she returned to Denmark to work as a trainee at the secretariat of the Danish Parliament (Folketing). In 1990 she was recruited as head of section at the Ministry of transport in Denmark, a position that she held until 1994, when she became a councillor at the Danish Permanent Representation to the EU for another two years. In 1996 she joined the cabinet of the Neil Kinnock, then Vice-President of the European Commission. She joined the cabinet of Commissioner Margot Wallström in 1999 first as a member and since 2004 as an adviser to the Vice President. She speaks Danish, English, French, German, Swedish and Norwegian fluently.
DG EDUCATION, TRAINING, CULTURE AND MULTILINGUALISM
Member of the cabinet of Ján Figel, European Commissioner for education, training, culture and multilingualism
Tel: +32.2.2956887
Mr Biervert has been a member of Commissioner Ján Figel’s cabinet since 2004, where he is responsible for culture, sport and citizenship policy, competition, the internal market and justice and home affairs. He graduated from the University of Trier, Germany with a diploma in English law in 1992 and then continued his studies at the University of Freiberg where he passed the first state exam with distinction in 1995 and took a doctorate in European Law in 1997. From 1992 to 1995 he worked as an assistant at the institute of constitutional and administrative law at the University of Freiburg. From 1997 to 2000 Mr Biervert worked as a junior lawyer at the State of Hamburg’s Ministry of Justice, passing the second state exam with distinction. As of October 1998 Mr Biervert has been a visiting lecturer of EC Law, at the University of Banská Bystrica, in the Slovak Republic. He first joined the European Commission in April 2000, as a desk officer at DG Enlargement responsible for the co-ordination of accession negotiations with the Slovak Republic. In November 2003 he moved to the Task Force for European Neighbourhood Policy and became Task Manager, responsible for education, culture, science and research, justice and home affairs. From February to April 2004 he was seconded to the United Nations in Cyprus as a member of the negotiation team for the reunification of Cyprus, after which he took up his present position. He speaks German, Slovak, English and French fluently and has a good command of Russian, Czech and Spanish.
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