COLLEGE MEETING: European Commission appoints the Head of the Recovery and Resilience Task Force and a new Commission Mediator

Today, the European Commission decided to appoint Ms Céline Gauer, a French national, as the new Director-General in charge of the Recovery and Resilience Task Force (RECOVER) within the Secretariat-General. Ms Gauer’s professional experience and particular strengths in negotiation, as well as her leadership skills make her a particularly suitable candidate to take on this challenging role leading the Recovery and Resilience Task Force, responsible for steering the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility to help the European Union emerge from the coronavirus crisis. She has had a long career in the Commission, primarily in DG Competition (COMP), before being appointed in 2018 to her current function of Deputy Secretary-General responsible for policy coordination as well as for the European Semester, and has been the acting Head of the Recovery and Resilience Task Force since its creation. The College also decided to appoint Ms Flaminia Bussacchini, a French national, to the function of Commission Mediator, which has been upgraded to senior management level (permanent Principal Adviser function within the Secretariat-General) reflecting the importance that the von der Leyen Commission attaches to the Mediator and Mediation Service. The Service acts as a facilitator for disputes that may arise between staff members and the administration, offering objective and impartial advice to both sides. It is available for assisting all staff and services of the Commission. Ms Bussacchini has a strong track record within both DG Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and DG Human Resources and Security (HR) where she has led work on equal opportunities and working conditions and most recently, middle management policy. The Commission also appointed today Mr Johannes Luebking as Principal Adviser and European Semester Coordinator in the Recovery and Resilience Task Force (RECOVER). Mr Luebking, a German national, is currently the Head of Unit of Antitrust, Energy and Environment in the Directorate-General for Competition (COMP). Furthermore, the College also decided to appoint Ms Ruth Paserman as a new Director in DG Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). The Italian economist has held numerous positions in the European Commission and is currently a Member of the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis. The date of effect in all cases remains to be determined.