Vacancy sparks energetic horse-trading

Date: 06/06/1996

Italian Fabrizio Caccia Dominioni is favourite to be confirmed as director-general of DGXVII (energy) following the swift departure of Ramón de Miguel after only seven months in the job.

De Miguel has been appointed secretary of state for European affairs in the new Spanish government and Caccia Dominioni has already moved into the hot seat as acting head of the energy directorate-general.

But Spain has other ideas. Madrid wants a Spaniard to keep the post and has been pushing the name of Pablo Benavides Salas, from DGIA (external relations), to replace de Miguel. In the forthcoming horse-trading, word is that Spain might settle for another A1 post in another DG, avoiding another change of office for Caccia Dominioni.

A professional diplomat, de Miguel was a senior negotiator during Spain's accession negotiations before becoming a director in DGXIV (fisheries) in the days when Manuel Marín was the Commissioner.

De Miguel was chef de Cabinet for both Abel Matutes and Marcelino Oreja before becoming DGXVII's boss in November. His departure is not altogether a surprise - he was already a candidate for the

post of Spanish permanent representative in Brussels before being summoned to Madrid, where he will work under new Foreign Minister Matutes, thus reviving their old Brussels connection.

It appears that de Miguel has been given leave by the Commission for the duration of the Spanish government, so he may return to Brussels when his time as a minister is over.