EBRD Vice President Horst Reichenbach has been appointed by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to lead a task force within the Commission to provide technical assistance to Greece.
The task force will work closely with the Greek authorities and other EU member states to coordinate the technical assistance that Greece may need in order to be able to deliver programmes worked out with the EU and the International Monetary Fund.
Under Mr Reichenbach’s leadership, the task force will work to identify and agree with the relevant Greek authorities the details of the sort of technical assistance to be provided, the results to be delivered as well as the time frame for such work. He will take up his position in early September.
Commenting on the appointment, EBRD President Thomas Mirow said, “I deeply regret Horst Reichenbach’s departure from the EBRD where he has played an eminent role for the last six years and for which I am personally extremely grateful”.
But President Mirow added, “In view of the outstanding importance of this role in leading the task force at the European Commission I have gladly accepted President Barroso’s proposal. I have made a request to the EBRD’s Board that Mr Reichenbach’s tenure at the Bank end by 31 August and the Board has accepted this request.”
Horst Reichenbach joined the EBRD on 31 August 2005 as Secretary General. He became Vice President for Risk Management, Human Resources and Nuclear Safety on 1 April 2007 and Vice President for Risk and Resources on 1 September 2010.
Prior to joining the EBRD, Mr Reichenbach, a German national, was Director General of Enterprise and Industry at the European Commission, in Brussels, where he worked for 30 years.