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Commission creates two new Directorates-General for Energy and Climate Action
2/18/2010

On 17 February, the European Commission took a number of decisions to implement the organisational consequences of the allocation of portfolios to Commissioners. Two new Directorates-General have been created: DG Energy (ENER) and DG Climate Action (CLIM).

The Energy DG consists of the departments in the former Transport and Energy DG dealing with energy issues and of the Task Force Energy which will be transferred from the External Relations DG. The position of Director-General will be assumed by Philip Lowe, a British national, currently Director-General in DG Competition. The departments responsible for transport policy will remain in the renamed Mobility and Transport DG (MOVE).

The Climate Action DG will be created from the relevant activities in DG Environment, the activities in the External Relations DG related to international negotiations on climate change and the activities in the Enterprise and Industry DG related to climate change. Jos Delbeke, a Belgian national and currently Deputy Director-General in the Environment DG, has been appointed Director-General of the Climate Action DG.

The Commission has also decided to appoint Christian Leffler, a Swedish national, to the position of Deputy Director-General in the DG for Development and Relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Rudolf Strohmeier, a German national, has been appointed to the position of Deputy Director-General in the Research DG.

The Commission also made a number of appointments at the level of Director and Principal Advisor, including two officials from the Member States which joined the EU in 2004. These decisions were delayed while it was in caretaker mode. It also agreed to transfer a number of activities from one DG to another to better align them with the responsibilities of the respective portfolios of the Commissioners. The DGs concerned are those for Mobility and Transport, Competition, Enterprise and Industry, Environment, Humanitarian Aid and Health and Consumers.

To advance the Commission's strategic approach on research, a task force, to be chaired by the Secretary-General, has been set up. This will launch a strategic reflection at Commission level on the evolution of the research budget, the degree of externalisation in the management of research programmes and the links between research and other policies in organisational terms.

Source: Rapid, EC website

Other news items

World economic crisis has spurred a record increase in youth unemployment says ILO
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Global youth unemployment has reached its highest level on record, and is expected to increase through 2010, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a new report issued to coincide with the launch of the UN International Youth Year on 12 August.

Commissioner considers legislation for gender quotas on company boards
Friday, July 16, 2010

The European Commission is considering introducing quotas to tackle gender imbalances in the decision-making bodies of private companies, where only 10% of members are women.'Equality in decision-making is not yet a fact,' EU Fundamental Rights Commissioner Viviane Reding told a hearing of the European Parliament's women's rights and gender equality committee on 14 July.

CEEMET reply to the second stage consultation on the Electromagnetic fields Directive
Wednesday, July 07, 2010

In preparation for a new legislative proposal concerning the Directive 2004/40/EC on minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic fields), the European Commission has launched in May 2010 the second stage of the Social Partner consultation. CEEMETs reply to this consultation was sent to the European Commission on 5 July 2010.

Programme for Belgian EU Presidency
Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Programme for the Belgian EU Presidency has now been published, with a strong focus on employment and social affairs at the European level for the next 6 months.

Self-employed workers to gain maternity and pension benefits under new EU law
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Self-employed workers and their partners will enjoy better social protection – including the right to maternity leave for the first time – under new legislation endorsed by EU governments on June 7, 2010.

CEEMET response to the consultation on working time
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

In response to the consultation document of 24 March 2010 requesting social partners views and comments on the communication on “possible action at Community level regarding any revision of Directive 2003/88/EC”, the CEEMET reply has been sent to the European Commission on 19 May.