Hilde Hardeman is Deputy Head of Cabinet to European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness. She is in charge of the Cabinet’s daily coordination, and follows in particular issues related to employment, social dialogue and better regulation. From 2011 until September 2014, she served as Head of the President’s Briefings Unit at the European Commission. From 1994, when she joined the European Commission, until 2010, she dealt with the EU’s Eastern neighbours. From 2008 to 2010 she was Head of the Unit for Relations with Russia and the Northern Dimension Policy at the Commission’s Directorate-General External Relations, and from 2005 to 2008 of its Unit for Relations with Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. In that capacity, she played a central role in the negotiations on the new EU – Russia Agreement and the EU – Ukraine association agreement, as well as in the setting up of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM). Between 2000 and 2003 she coordinated the preparation of the Commission’s Regular Reports on the then candidate countries at the European Commission’s Directorate-General Enlargement.