IP/08/42
Brussels, 15 January 2008
Jos Delbeke appointed Deputy Director-General for the Environment Today the European Commission appointed Mr Jos Delbeke as Deputy Director-General for the Environment (DG ENV). Under the guidance of the Director-General he will be responsible for the overall strategy and policy orientation of the Environment DG, whilst assuring coherence with other EU policies. In doing so, he will further the Commission's aims of sustainable development, high levels of environmental protection, improved environmental efficiency, and sound management of common environmental resources. In his new role, Mr Delbeke will take the lead in managing the international activities of the Environment DG, ensuring continuity across the various policy areas. He will also provide advice and support on politically important issues, and oversee any internal task forces that may be set up to deal with such issues.
Currently, Mr Delbeke is Director responsible for climate change and air at the Environment DG, where he leads policy development and legislation in areas such as emissions trading, Kyoto Protocol negotiations, carbon capture and storage, air quality and industrial emissions.
Jos Delbeke, a 52-year-old Belgian, has held various positions in the Environment DG, and prior to that in the Social Affairs DG, since joining the Commission in 1986. Before his career as a European Commission official, Mr Delbeke spent a year at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC. Prior to that, he was a professor in macroeconomics at the Flemish Business School (VLEKHO) in Brussels. In 1986 he earned a PhD in economics from K.U.Leuven, Belgium, and has written some 40 articles in this field.
