Paquet confirms his appointment as ambassador to Japan

Jean-Eric Paquet, head of the European Commission’s research directorate, is set to take up a new role as EU ambassador to Japan on 1 September.

Rumours about Paquet’s departure have been circulating since early spring, but the Commission would not confirm the speculation until the decision was signed off. This week, EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell officially nominated Paquet for the role in Japan.

Paquet has been steering the directorate for research since 2018, when he was appointed as part of a reshuffle of top management positions in the Commission. The move was meant to tie the research directorate closer to other policy areas.

During his time as research chief Paquet guided the final preparation of the launch of EU’s flagship seven-year Horizon Europe research programme.

Previously, Paquet was deputy secretary general responsible for better regulation and policy coordination at the directorate for research, one step down from the highest civil service position within the Commission.

But the job in Japan won’t be the EU official’s first stint in foreign policy.  From 2004 to 2007, he was EU ambassador to Mauritania. He has also worked in the Commission’s directorate responsible for cooperation with Western Balkans.

The Commission has not yet confirmed whether the search for Paquet’s replacement has officially begun, but the Brussels research community has been speculating who will take the reins for the past couple of months.

In April, Science|Business compiled a list of potential successors for the Commission’s top research job.

One profile widely speculated to fit the Commissioner’s vision is a woman from Eastern Europe, a move which would improve the gender balance at the Commission’s top jobs.

Signe Ratso would fit such a profile. She is second-in-command after Paquet and currently leads negotiations with non-EU countries on association to Horizon Europe at the Commission.

Joanna Drake, a Maltese bureaucrat on par with Ratso in seniority at the research directorate, is also speculated to be on the list of potential successors. She’s led the directorate’s implementation, impact and sustainable investment strategies since 2018.

Kurt Vandenberghe, adviser for the Green Deal at in the cabinet of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and a bureaucrat with years of experience in research policy, is also said to be a likely candidate.

Roberto Viola, Commission’s chief for communication technology, and Charlina Vitcheva, head of the directorate for maritime affairs and fisheries, are also likely to feature as candidates.

After Paquet announced the news on Twitter on Thursday afternoon members of the research community rushed to give their congratulations.

The European University Association thanked Paquet for advancing the Commission’s work on open science and research assessment reform, while Kurt Deketelare, secretary general of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), thanked him for “excellent collaboration”.