Britain's most senior Eurocrat, Jonathan Faull, has been called in to lead a Brussels taskforce dedicated to dealing with "strategic issues related to the UK referendum”.
Faull who joined the European commission in 1978 will leave his current post as director-general for the internal market to head up the newly created Brexit taskforce following a reshuffle of some of the commission's top posts on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference following the reshuffles, EU Budget Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, said of the 60 year old Faull, "Jonathan is someone who can very capably lead our work in terms of what expectations the UK has for reforms in the EU, what is possible and how we can meet each other”.
Faull's new role will see him reporting directly to commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
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An active supporter of British EU membership, he has written - in a personal capacity - for this website on the benefits of being a bloc member, arguing that, "the reality of modern Europe is that economic rules… are made in Brussels. That will not change."
"The only question is whether Britain will be at the table shaping them or just receiving them by email after some form of consultation."
Biography: Jonathan Faull
• Born in Chatham, Kent in 1954.
• He joined the European commission in 1978 after studying law at the University of Sussex and the College of Europe in Bruges and has worked in a number of positions in the directorate general for competition and was appointed deputy director general in 1999.
• He was commission spokesman and director general for press and communication from 2000-2003 and director general for justice, freedom and security from 2003-2010.
• He is also a professor of law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the College of Europe.
Source: European commission