Brussels - The Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr Neil Kinnock, yesterday unveiled his long-awaited shake-up of the staffing of the European Commission, cutting 500 posts, creating 1,000 more and seeking 600 applicants for early retirement.
The revamp of the Commission's 18,000 staff is a major element in the programme of reforms promised by the Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi. Mr Prodi said yesterday that the changes were aimed at matching the Commission's staff to the tasks they had been given by the member states.
Ireland's Commissioner, Mr David Byrne, who is responsible for Health and Consumer Safety has emerged strengthened from a process of "peer group review" which scrutinised staffing in each of the commissioners' departments. The Commission has concluded 85 posts must be created in the areas of public health and consumer policy.