The European Commission has appointed Elena Grech as the new Head of the European Commission Representation in Valletta. She will take up office on January 1, 2016,

Currently, Ms Grech is Head of Unit in the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy at the European Commission in Brussels. She heads the team responsible for the management and implementation of the Structural Funds in the Czech Republic.

Prior to that Ms Grech headed the team overseeing the programming of pre-accession structural funds for candidate countries including Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro.

Upon joining the Commission in 2007, Ms Grech served as a legal officer in the Commission's Internal Market department dealing with compliance with the Union's public procurement legislation with particular responsibility for Malta and Italy, as well as Green Public Procurement policy.

Prior to taking up work in the Commission, Ms Grech served for over 11 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (from 1995 to 2006).

Further to serving in the Ministry's headquarters in Valletta, she was posted in the Embassy of Malta in Bonn as well as in the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU in Brussels for seven years (from 1997 to 2004). In this role she formed part of the team responsible for the negotiations leading to Malta's accession to the EU, with specific responsibilities on Justice and Home Affairs as well as in charge of communication matters and relations with the media.

Ms Grech holds legal qualifications from the University of Malta including a Diploma of Notary Public and a Degree of Doctor of Laws.