New leadership team for Europe

The top posts created by the Lisbon treaty will be filled on the basis of political agreement reached unanimously at the informal meeting of EU heads of state and government on 19 November in Brussels. Herman Van Rompuy will leave his post of Belgian Prime Minister to become the President of the European Council.

Herman Van Rompuy, Fredrik Reinfeldt and Catherine Ashton
at the press conference after the EU informal summit
on 19 November 2009.
Photo: Council of the European Union

Herman Van Rompuy will be in charge of preparing and chairing the European Council's meetings and assuring the continuity of its work. He will also represent the EU on the international stage. His mandate covers two and a half years, renewable once.

Catherine Ashton, currently in charge of trade in the European Commission, will take up the post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She will chair the meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council and will hold the post of Vice-President of the European Commission.

Pierre de Boissieu,the current Deputy Secretary General of the Council of the EU, will become its Secretary General.

The formal decisions on these appointments will be taken once the Treaty of Lisbon has entered into force, on 1 December 2009.

More information:
Council Press release 
Council webcast of press conference 
Factsheet on the President of the European Council 
Factsheet on the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy