The European Commission’s health and food safety directorate has a new director general, with Xavier Prats Monné taking over from acting director-general Miko Ladislav.
There has not been a permanent director general for DG Sante, as the directorate is known, since a breach of tender procedure saw Paola Testori Coggi step down after she alerted an NGO to the timing of a food-related study.
In his new role Prats Monné will report to the commissioner responsible for health Dr Vytenis Andriukaitis.
Prats Monné was previously director general for education and culture, a post he held since 2014 – prior to which he spent three years as deputy director general with responsibility for EU policies on education and training.
A Spanish national, he has also served for the European Social Fund (ESF), as deputy head of cabinet of the commission vice president for international relations, and as an assistant European Commission spokesman under president Jacques Delors.
Prats Monné’s appointment was part of a reshuffle of the Commission’s senior management by president Jean-Claude Juncker and, in a statement, the EC said the changes were a “further step in gearing the Commission towards effective delivery”.
Previously known as DG Sanco, DG Sante aims to make Europe a healthier, safer place and has 960 staff – around 660 based in Brussels (home to its pharmaceuticals unit), 120 in Luxembourg and another 180 in Grange, near Dublin.