DG Energy and DG Climate Action created

Two new Directorates-General: DG Energy (ENER) and DG Climate Action (CLIM) have been created within the European Commission. The Energy DG contains the departments in the former Transport and Energy DG that dealt with energy issues, and the Task Force Energy, which will be transferred from the External Relations DG. The new Director-General for the Energy DG will be Philip Lowe, a British national, currently Director-General in DG Competition. Alexander Italianer, a Dutch national will become the new Director –General for 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 relevant units in DG Environment, along with activities in the External Relations DG and Enterprise and Industry DG related to international negotiations and activities on climate change. Jos Delbeke, a Belgian national and currently Deputy Director-General in the Environment DG, will be Director-General of CLIM.

Some of the activities of DGs Mobility and Transport, Competition, Enterprise and Industry, Environment, Humanitarian Aid and Health and Consumers have been moved around in order to better align them with the responsibilities of the respective portfolios of the Commissioners. Finally, a research task force has been established to advance the Commission’s strategic approach, and will be chaired by the Secretary-General.