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Dimas replaces Wallström as Environment Commissioner
New European Commissioners have been appointed.
Stavros Dimas, a Greek lawyer, will replace Margot Wallström as EU Environment Commissioner, and hence take over responsibility for laboratory animals and the revision of Directive 86/609.
Born in Athens in 1941, Dimas read law and economics at Athens and New York Universities, and subsequently worked as a lawyer at the World Bank and for a Wall Street law firm. He has been elected to the Greek Parliament ten consecutive times since 1977 and has held leading posts in Greek politics, including Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Industry, Energy, and Technology. His views on animal experimentation have yet to be ascertained.
Other commissioners who will be involved in the debate around the revision of the Directive are Markos Kyprianou (Cyprus) who takes over the Health and Consumer Protection Portfolio; Slovenian Janez Potoènik, who will be in charge of Science and Research; and Günter Verheugen, from Germany, who takes on Enterprise and Industry and therefore will be responsible for policies affecting the pharmaceutical industry.
The new Commissioners need to be to confirmed by the European Parliament during the plenary session at the end of October. Before this they will have to undergo individual hearings, at which MEPs will grill them on their plans and attitudes. However, the Parliament cannot vote to exclude individuals and will have to approve or reject the College of Commissioners as a whole. After the vote, the President and other members of the Commission will be appointed by the Council and the 25-member College will take up office on 1 November.