Personnel change frees up Commission staff:

Karen Howes is returning to the European Commission's Directorate General Enterprise in November as a temporary agent within the medical devices division. She recently spent some three years at the department on attachment from the UK's Medical Devices Agency and will replace Bo Hojdefors, a national expert on attachment from Sweden who has returned home for personal reasons. Ms Howes will work under a two-and-a-half year contract, no longer on attachment to the MDA. The Commission's medical devices division says it welcomes her return in what is a busy time of year, a spokesman said. Understaffing has prevented Commission experts from speaking at key conferences.