Controversial new Commission environment boss

Falkenberg, currently deputy director-general of the trade directorate, looks set to take over from Mögens Peter Karl.

The German economics weekly Wirtschaftswoche says the environment commissioner Stavros Dimas is far from happy with the nominee, who he feels lacks the necessary environmental understanding, but Falkenberg has been pushed by Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel as he is likely to pursue ‘an industry-friendly line’.