Cristina Narbona and Janez Potočnik provide strategic guidance to EFI

EFI strengthens its network as Dr Cristina Narbona and Mr Janez Potočnik are joining Esko Aho and Göran Persson in advisory roles. They will be providing valuable strategic guidance in order to implement EFI’s new strategy.  Dr Narbona, former Minister of Environment of Spain, has a strong network, especially in Southern Europe, which brings an important asset to EFI’s science to policy work enabling EFI to establish new contacts and widen the current network. Mr Janez Potočnik, former Commissioner for Environment, will be supporting EFI’s work in one of its main strategic themes: bioeconomy.

Cristina Narbona was the Environment Minister of Spain during the first term of President Zapatero (2004–2008). She was appointed as Ambassador to the OECD (2008–2011). At the beginning of 2013, she left her seat in the Parliament to become Counselor of the Nuclear Safety Council of Spain. She holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Rome, and was a Professor at the University of Seville for seven years. Dr Narbona has served as a member of both the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability and the High-Level Taskforce for Climate Services of the World Meteorological Organisation. She also served as a member of the Global Ocean Commission and is currently a member of the Spanish Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Janez Potočnik is Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel hosted by UNEP, Chairman of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture and RISE Foundation and a Member of the European Policy Centre's Advisory Council. After a successful career in Slovenia as a researcher at the Institute of Economic Research, Director of the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, he was appointed Head of Negotiating Team for the Accession of Slovenia to the EU (1998). He was also Director of Government Office for European Affairs (2000), Minister Councillor at the Office of the Prime Minister (2001) and Minister responsible for European Affairs (2002). In 2004 he joined the European Commission, first as shadow Commissioner for Enlargement, then as Commissioner responsible for Science and Research, and from 2010–2014 as Commissioner for Environment. 

More information: Anne Autio, Head of Communications, EFI, firstname.lastname@efi.int