Janez Potočnik, Environment
(Slovenia, Liberal)

Background

An economist by training, this is Potočnik’s second term as a European Commissioner having previously served a term as Commissioner for Science and Research under Barroso I.  Before moving to the European Commission, Potočnik was Head of the Negotiating Team for the accession of Slovenia to the EU for a period of six years. He was also Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia (2002-2004) and acted as Minister Counselor in the Slovenian Prime Minister's cabinet from 2001-2002. From 1993 – 2001 he was Director of the Institute of the Macroeconomic Analysis and Development in Ljubljana.

Stated objectives on taking office

• To increase resource efficiency and to break the link between economic growth and resource use;
• To present a new biodiversity action plan by the end of 2010 (the EU has failed to meet the 2010 targets);
• To push for the implementation of existing environmental legislation;
• To focus on “smarter regulation and simplification of existing legislation”.

Members of the Cabinet

Kurt VANDENBERGHE, Head of Cabinet
Matjaž MALGAJ, Deputy Head of Cabinet
Vesna VALANT, Member, Nature and Biodiversity, Forests, Soil and Biotech
Bénédicte CAREMIER, Member, Water, Marine, Environment and Health and Animal Welfare
William NEALE, Member, Sustainable Production and Consumption, Waste
Elena Višnar MALINOVSKÁ, Member, Legal Affairs and Governance, Regulation

Joe HENNON, Spokesperson

Main actions to date

• Calling for increased actions to ensure that the stocks of blue-fin tuna are managed in a sustainable way;
• Announcing a strategy to improve the management of bio-waste;
• Fighting against illegal timber exports by signing the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the Republic of Congo;
• Initiating a public debate on protecting Europe's forests against climate change;
• Launching a handbook on how to assess the environmental impact of products in order to promote more sustainable consumption and production patterns across member states;
• Launching a €35 million call for eco-innovation projects to be funded under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme.

What to expect

One of the main challenges facing Potočnik is that the scope of his portfolio has been reduced by the creation of a new Directorate-General for Climate Change.  Although it is still too early to judge the impact that this change will have on Potočnik’s term as Commissioner for Environment,  he has however a number of important policy priorities to focus on including advancing the first reading of the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive and the RoHS Directive.  Other issues that will be high on his agenda include the International Plant Protection Convention and illegal logging. During his term as Commissiner, Potočnik will need to work closely with Commissioner Hedegaard and Commissioner Damanaki, amongst others, in order to ensure a streamlined approach to environment policy.