Looking out for a SCOOP

Date: 02/10/1997

Philippe Soubestre, the acting French head of the Directorate-General for development (DGVIII), is emerging as the leading contender to become the first overseer of the European Commission's new SCOOP service.

With a staff of some 500 officials, the new SCOOP supremo will be in charge of all aid contracts - worth 8 billion ecu a year - between the EU and the rest of the world.

As deputy director-general of DGVIII for many years and one of the guiding lights of the Lomé Convention between the Union and 70 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, Soubestre undoubtedly has extensive experience in handling development aid.

But exactly how much responsibility the boss of SCOOP (service commun de coopération) will have is unclear.

The result will depend on the outcome of the tussle between two of the Commission's most senior German officials: new Deputy Secretary-General Bernhard Zepter, who is pushing through the reform with enthusiasm, and Günther Burghardt, director-general of the external relations department most affected, who is fighting a desperate rearguard action.