The European Commission has named Zacharias Giakoumis as its new Head of Representation in Athens, with the start date to be confirmed later.
Giakoumis will serve as the Commission’s official representative in Greece under the political authority of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU executive informed on a statement on Wednesday.
He has worked for around 20 years in EU institutions and has experience including management, communication, crisis management, civil protection, external affairs, interinstitutional relations and negotiations.
Giakoumis has been Head of Unit for communication, events and briefings at the Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) since 2023.
DG ECHO is the Commission department responsible for EU civil protection and humanitarian aid.
Before that, he worked as a policy assistant to DG ECHO’s Director-General and was a member of the cabinet of former Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.
Prior to joining the Commission in 2014, he worked in the European Parliament.
What the Commission’s representations do
The Commission has representations in the capitals of all EU member states, as well as regional offices in Barcelona, Bonn, Marseille, Milan, Munich and Wroclaw.
These offices act as the Commission’s local presence — engaging with national authorities, stakeholders and citizens, and informing the media and the public about EU policies.
Heads of representation are appointed by the President of the European Commission and act as her political representatives in the member state where they are based.
