In the second reorganisation since the European Commission (EC) changed administration in September 2014, the EC has reshuffled its senior management team in ‘a further step in gearing the commission towards effective delivery’.

Notably, Daniel Crespo Calleja (known as Daniel Calleja, pictured right), the Director-General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, is to replace Karl Falkenberg as DG for Environment, while the German will take on a new role as Senior Adviser for Sustainable Development at the EU authority's in-house think-tank, the European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC). It is expected that he will continue to be involved in the development of the EC’s revised Circular Economy Package.

Calleja’s position will be filled by Briton Lowri Evans, current DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, who has also previously held the role of DG for Competition.

The reshuffle is expected to take effect on 1 September, when Secretary-General Catherine Day retires. She will be replaced by Dutchman Alexander Italianer, who currently heads up DG Competition.

In total, the reshuffle will see:

• 11 DGs move department or take on ‘other important assignments’;
• eight Deputy DGs become DGs; and
• the creation of a new DG position leading a task force responsible for ‘strategic issues’ related to the UK referendum on its relationship with the EU (to be filled by DG for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Jonathan Faull).

The EC has stated that three DG posts and 10 Deputy DG posts will be published ‘in the near future’, followed by the confirmation of those filling other Deputy DG posts, both current and new.

A full list detailing the reshuffle can be found below.

EC intends to bring in more female managers

Noting that the reshuffle has a lower proportion of women than men, Kristalina Georgieva, Vice-President in charge of Human Resources and Budget, said: “This is a team of talented and experienced professionals, who will work closely with the political leaders to deliver on the priorities of the Juncker Commission – the right people in the right place, at the right time. And I am strongly committed to bring the share of female managers to 40 per cent by the end of this mandate.”

Announcing the reshuffle last week, President of the EC, Jean-Claude Juncker, added: “We have a strong team in place to deliver on Europe's big priorities. At the same time, there are still too few women among our senior managers. It remains my firm intention to change that during my mandate.”

Juncker also thanked Day for her “commitment and skilful steer of [the] administration for so many years”, adding: “She played a crucial role in helping this new commission to start at full speed. I am sure our new Secretary-General, Alexander Italianer, will build on her tremendous success.”