Irishwoman to become head of EC environment department

An Irishwoman was yesterday appointed to head the European Commission's 500-strong environment directorate-general, one of the most important departments in the Brussels secretariat. Ms Catherine Day (47), from Mount Merrion, Dublin, is being promoted from her current post of deputy director general of the Commission's department for foreign relations.

The appointment was accompanied by announcements from the President of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, intended to end the practice of reserving certain posts in Brussels for nationals from particular member states.

Ms Day said she hoped her appointment would be welcomed by other EU nationals on the grounds of her merit.

Certainly her appointment was largely expected in Brussels where she had been talked about as the strongest candidate for the environment post.

A graduate of the National University of Ireland and University College Dublin, Ms Day began her career in the European Commission in 1979 having previously worked for the Investment Bank of Ireland and the Confederation of Irish Industry.

She was promoted last year to the post of joint number two in the department of external relations. That job, including as it does relations with the rest of Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East and south Mediterranean, has been fraught with difficulty since September 11th.

Ms Day said last night she did not consider herself to be a specialist on environmental matters but the EU's environmental legislation had been "one of the big issues" during her time working with the candidate countries.

As for Ireland's record in failing to observe EU environmental legislation, Ms Day said: "I don't know enough about the details yet but I think it's the job of the commission to help member states to implement the legislation."

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