Eight Directors General and nine Deputy DGs are being transferred as a result of this very complex reorganisation which needs to balance the criteria of merit and expertise, gender balance and geographical balance. Some of the most interesting moves (by default from 1 Jan 2006) are the following:
- Catherine Day (Ireland - DG Environment) becomes the first woman ever to take the important job of Secretary General of the Commission, replacing her compatriot David O'Sullivan, who moves to DG Trade (for both from 21 November 2005);
- José Manuel Silva Rodrigues (Spain - now DG Agri) goes to DG Research. Current Research DG Achilleas Mitsos becomes "hors classe advisor" in DG Research;
- Odile Quintin (France - DG Social) moves to DG Education and current DG Education, Klaus van der Pas (Germany), takes her place at DG Social;
- Peter Carl (Denmark) moves from DG Trade to DG Environment (from 21 Nov 2005);
- François Lamoureux (France - DG TREN) does not leave the commission as some had expected, but stays as "hors classe advisor" to President Barroso;
- Jean-Claude Demarty (France) moves from Deputy DG to Director General for Agriculture;
- Heinz Zourek (Austria, now Deputy DG) becomes Director General for Enterprise, with immediate effect;
- Mike Leigh (UK) takes over at the helm of DG Enlargement;
Sixteen posts of Director General and Deputy DG have been declared vacant and will be filled by internal or external recruitment next year, among them very important ones like DG Internal Market (when Alexander Schaub retires in July 2006), Director General for Communication and the post of DG for DG TREN.
Although women seem to have made progress in this reshuffle, the new member states did not get any of the top posts.
The Commission also appointed a new chief spokesperson, replacing Françoise Le Bail with German Johannes Laitenberger, who is now working in Mr Barroso's cabinet. Françoise Le Bail becomes Deputy Director General in DG Enterprise.
