Kilkenny’s Phil Hogan set to land €240,000 role as EU’s top trade negotiator

By COLIN BARTLEY

IRELAND’S EU Commissioner, the former Kilkenny TD Phil Hogan, is to be handed one of the European Union’s most powerful roles.

Phil Hogan is set to be made the European Union’s chief trade negotiator later today.

RTÉ’s European Correspondent, Tony Connolly reports that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will hand Commissioner Hogan the EU Trade Commissioner portfolio, which includes the task of negotiating trade deals on behalf of the EU.

As revealed by KilkennyNow.ie last week, Mr Hogan’s role in delivering the EU-Japan and EU-Mercosur deal help him clinch this vital economic post in Brussels.

Commissioner Hogan will be assisted in the role by one of the leading negotiators in Michel Barnier’s Brexit talks team, Sabine Weyand, who currently holds the position of EU Director-General for Trade.

One of the first negotiations they are likely to be presented with will be EU-UK talks post-Brexit.

Mr Hogan’s new role comes with a salary of €240,000 per annum.