27 November 2007
The last hurdle before appointing the Director of the European Chemicals Agency
Geert Dancet, the Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), was on October 17 elected by a two-thirds majority of its management board to take on the role for the next five years. Last week, Geert Dancet appeared before the European Parliament and answered questions from MEPs. Again concern arose from the fact that Mr Dancet has a long career within DG Enterprise and that this would affect his and the Agency’s independence from the European Commission. After the parliamentary hearing Mr Dancet is only a formal decision from being officially appointed Executive Director of ECHA. The final appointment is expected to be made by the Management Board on December 17th .
In spite of severe criticism from environmental groups on the appropriateness of his candidature and questions from the European Parliament’s Environment Committee on the selection-procedure leading up to the final vote, the European Commission official emerged as the preferred candidate of the European Chemicals Agency’s Management Board.
Mr. Dancet was elected in a vote with only two official candidates, the result of an internal European Commission short-listing procedure excluding all other applicants for the post. Mr. Dancet’s only opponent was Mrs. Anne Lambert, deputy head of the UK permanent representation to the European Union. A third alternative, Ethel Forsberg, was disregarded by the Commission despite her excellent track-record as director-general of the Swedish Chemicals Agency.
Before taking on the job as the Agency’s interim director, Mr. Dancet, with a 20 year career in the European Commission’s industry directorate-general, lead the directorate-general’s REACH unit. Environmental groups such as the EEB and Friends of the Earth Europe have objected to the lack of transparency of the process as well as questioned his independency from the Commission, expressing concern about his close links to the Executive branch of the European Union.
In addition, the short-listing procedure leading up to the vote has raised some eyebrows, by excluding relevant and competent candidates while leaving the options for the members of the Management Board limited.