Press Release: Commission appoints Rytis Martikonis Deputy Director General in DG MARKT and Normunds Popens Deputy Director General in DG REGIO

The Commission has appointed Rytis Martikonis, until very recently Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU, and Nordmunds Popens, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the EU, as Deputy Director General in DG MARKT and Deputy Director General in DG REGIO respectively. These two appointments are the result of publications of high level posts made by the Commission earlier in the year with a view to complete successfully the recruitment of EU-10 nationals. On 31 December 2010, the transitional period which allows recruitments based on nationality will come to an end. These two recruitments, together with that of Martin Seychell to DG SANCO, allow the Commission to have one national each from Latvia, Lithuania and Malta at Director General or Deputy Director General level. These were the last of the EU-10 Member States which did not have any of their nationals at DG or DDG level.