Brussels, 22 October 2024
The European Commission has decided today to appoint Colin Scicluna as Deputy Director-General at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Interpretation (DG SCIC). This department is responsible for providing high-quality conference interpretation, and by delivering corporate conference organisation and meeting room management services across the Commission. The date of effect will be determined later.
Mr Scicluna has accumulated nearly 30 years of broad professional experience in public service, with a remarkable track record in senior-level negotiations and management across various EU structures and the Maltese public administration. He is recognized for his strong leadership, an excellent ability for developing innovative solutions to address complex policy challenges in different areas as well as his thorough knowledge of EU decision-making processes and inter-institutional matters. Building on his deep understanding of complex policy environments, Mr Scicluna is well-positioned to take on a leadership role at DG SCIC, where precision in communication and organizational excellence are paramount. Mr Scicluna was instrumental, as Head of Secretariat, in organising the highly complex, multilingual ‘Conference on the Future of Europe´ ensuring seamless coordination of interpretation services and overseeing the management of logistical challenges of engaging participants from across the EU in multiple languages. His leadership was crucial in facilitating smooth communication and fostering meaningful dialogue in a diverse, multilingual environment.
A Maltese national, Colin Scicluna was until recently Head of Cabinet for the Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica. Previously, he was Deputy Managing-Director and Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf at the European External Action Service; Member of the Cabinet of former Commissioner for the European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, Johannes Hahn; and Member of the Cabinet of former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton.
Before joining the Commission in 2013, he served as Resident Ambassador of Malta to Austria, non-resident Ambassador to Hungary, the Slovak Republic, and Kosovo, and Deputy Permanent Representative of Malta to the UN in New York.