The Council of the European Union announced, on 13 January, the appointment by the Spanish government of Alfonso Dastis Quecedo as permanent representative of Spain to the European Union. Dastis Quecedo took up his duties on 3 January. Born in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, in 1955, he has been a member of the Spanish diplomatic service since 1983. He served as European adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office (1996-2000) and as undersecretary responsible for the preparation, organisation and coordination of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union (2000-2002). Since January 2011, he has been counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union.