The European Commission has decided today to appoint Ben Smulders as Deputy Director-General for State Aid Policy in the Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP).
DG COMP is responsible for EU policy on competition and for enforcing EU competition rules, in cooperation with national competition authorities. The date of effect is to be determined later. He will draw on his outstanding experience of 30 years in the Commission, his robust management skills, high-level experience in negotiating and representing the Commission in high-stake negotiations and his deep knowledge of competition law enforcement, in particular in the area of State aid.
Ben Smulders, a Dutch national, is currently Director – Principal Legal Adviser, in the Legal Service of the European Commission, heading the Word Trade Organisation & Trade Policy team. Throughout the years, he has acted as Commission or EU agent in more than 100 cases relating to various fields of EU and international law before the Court of Justice and the General Court of the European Union.
Throughout this career, he has worked in multiple Cabinets at the European Commission, including twice as Head of Cabinet. He was Head of Cabinet of First Vice-President Timmermans, responsible for better regulation, inter-institutional relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Head of Cabinet of Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for Competition. Before joining the Commission in 1990, he was advocate, member of the Amsterdam Bar, specialising in the banking & corporate law and intellectual property.
Source – EU Commission