The EU Council appointed, on 24 July, Pekka Ristelä (advisor on international affairs of SAK - Central Organisation of Finnish Trade) and Vitas Maciulis (business consultant at the Lithuanian Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology, member of the board at the Lithuanian Photovoltaic Technology and Business Association) as members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for the remainder of the current term of office, which runs until 20 September 2015.