ACER Administrative Board, in its meeting of 23 July 2018, took note of the fact that the procedure for the selection of the next Director of the Agency, launched with the publication of the vacancy notice on 30 August 2017, did not result in any appointment and, therefore, determined to invite the current Director, Mr Alberto Pototschnig, to remain in office as Director ad interim beyond the end of his current mandate on 15 September 2018.
On 6 September, Dr Romana Jordan, Chair of ACER Administrative Board, and Mr Pototschnig agreed terms for his staying on as Director ad interim. These terms were confirmed by the Administrative Board in its meeting later in the day.
“The appointment of Mr Pototschnig as Director ad interim ensures continuity in the management of the Agency at a critical time for the further development of the internal electricity and gas markets and of negotiations on the recast of the ACER Regulation and the Clean Energy Package. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr Pototschnig for his excellent work, flexibility and readiness to bridge the gap and preserve the stability and credibility of the Agency” remarked Dr Jordan.
Mr Garrett Blaney, Chair of the Agency’s Board of Regulators, added that “Mr Pototschnig, can continue to count on the full support of national regulatory authorities. With the new Clean Energy Package framework, the Agency will play an even more prominent role in European energy regulation. In this context we look forward to continuing to work with Alberto towards an even stronger cooperation of regulatory authorities within the Agency, delivering benefits to consumers across the Union”.
Mr Pototschnig thanked the Board for the renewed confidence. “After having worked for eight years in building and leading the Agency, it would have been unfair to my colleagues not to accept the invitation of the Board”, he added.
A new procedure for the selection of the next Director of the Agency will be initiated by the European Commission soon.