European Commission appoints new head of representation in #Croatia and an adviser for preparation of country's Council Presidency

The European Commission has appointed Ognian Zlatev (pictured) as the new head of the Commission's Representation in Zagreb, Croatia. He will take up his duties on 1 July 2019. Zlatev is succeeding Branko Baričević, who is becoming an adviser to President Juncker for the preparation of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2020. 

1. New Head of the Commission's Representation in Zagreb

Zlatev, a Bulgarian national, is currently Head of the European Commission's Representation in Sofia, Bulgaria. A highly experienced expert in communication, with nearly 30 years of professional experience, he successfully supported the Commission's work over the past 6 years at the Representation in Sofia and notably during the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018. Zlatev brings excellent knowledge of EU affairs, outstanding management skills and considerable expertise in media development, south-east Europe and the Western Balkans. He speaks Bulgarian, English, Russian, Croatian and Serbian.

Zlatev graduated from Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski and holds an M.A. in Classical Philology. Subsequently, he obtained qualifications in political communication, media relations and development, election campaigning and NGO management.

Zlatev has strong communication skills. He joined the European Commission in 2011 and was the head of the communication unit at the Directorate General of Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Prior to this, Zlatev served as a member of the managing board of Bulgarian National Television, and founded and managed the Media Development Centre in Bulgaria. He was also a founding member and president of the south-east European Network for Professionalization of the Media, to which 15 media centres and institutes from the region belong. He was a Director of the Information Centre for the Open Society Institute in Sofia, Manager of the BBC Centre in Bulgaria and Exchange Officer at the British Council office in Bulgaria.

Zlatev has also worked as a consultant for international institutions (UNESCO, OSCE, World Bank) in south-east Europe and the Western Balkans, among others. He is a member of the European Association of Communications Directors and the president of the south-east European Public Sector Communication Association since 2014.

2. Adviser for Croatia's Presidency of the Council of the EU

The European Commission also appointed Baričević as an adviser to the president on matters relating to the preparation of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Baričević has been the head of the European Commission representation in the Republic of Croatia since 1 July 2013, when Croatia became the EU's 28^th member state. He joined the European Commission from the Croatian ministry of foreign affairs, where he had served, between 2005 and 2012, as the Head of Mission of Croatia to the European Union in Brussels. He had previously worked in different diplomatic missions of Croatia (to the US, Cyprus and Portugal). Prior to his diplomatic career, Baričević was a medical doctor, having undertaken studies in Zagreb, New York and Munich.

The European Commission will thus continue to draw on his vast diplomatic experience and support during this important time.

Background

The European Commission has Representations in all EU member states, as well as regional offices in Barcelona, Belfast, Bonn, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Marseille, Milan, Munich and Wroclaw. The Representations are the Commission's eyes, ears and voice on the ground in all EU Member States. They interact with national authorities and stakeholders and inform the media and the public about EU policies. The representations report to the Commission's headquarters on significant developments in the member states. Since the beginning of the Juncker Commission, heads of representations are appointed by the president and are his political representatives in the member state to which they are posted.

More information is available here.