European Council names Brexit negotiator, Commission appointment pending

Belgian career diplomat Didier Seeuws has been appointed to lead the European Council’s negotiations with the British government as the United Kingdom separates from the European Union.

EU sources confirmed to Efe that Seeuws’ appointment was made Friday and that he will lead the Council’s working group over the UK’s decoupling from the EU.

The European Commission, that says it will lead the mediations with the UK during the separation, has yet to appoint a lead negotiator, EU sources told Efe.

The Commission must first disband its working group for strategic matters related to the UK referendum, sources said.

The following step would then be to create new structures for the UK’s separation from the EU, the sources said.

Seeuws described himelf on his official Twitter account Saturday as a Director at the EU Council and “Head of the Special Task Force on the UK Brexit.”

Seeuws was born in SintAmandsberg, Gent, on August 1, 1965, and has been spokesman for Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and chief of staff to President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.