Commission appoints new US ambassador

The European Commission appointed Mr. João Vale de Almeida as the Head of the European Union Delegation to the United States in February 2010. The position had been vacant since the departure of the former Head of Delegation, John Bruton, at the end of October 2009.

He will become the EU public face in Washington at a time when transatlantic relations have been patchy.

Subsequently, European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, came under fire for the appointment by some Member States, as undermining Lady Ashton , the EU's new foreign affairs chief.

European Commission: Press Release: IP/10/165: New Head of the EU Delegation in Washington http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/165&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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