EU Washington post filled

THE EU Washington post vacated three months ago by former taoiseach John Bruton has been filled by a close friend of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

A fellow Portuguese, Joao Vale de Almeida, 53 was head of Barroso’s cabinet before being promoted to director general of the External Relations department.

This put him at the same grade as ambassador and yesterday the Commission agreed to his appointment.

A former journalist, he has been an EU official for 27 years and headed up the Commission’s communications section for many years.