About the Ambassador-designate

Jean-Eric Paquet is the Ambassador-designate of the European Union (EU) to India and Bhutan. He previously served as Ambassador of the European Union to Japan from September 2022 to August 2026.

He gained considerable experience at international level as Director for the Western Balkans in the European Commission between 2013 and 2015 and as EU Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania from 2004 to 2007.

He has held various mandates at the European Commission, where he contributed to shaping EU policy in various fields. As Director-General for Research and Innovation (R&I) from 2018 and 2022, he set up the European Innovation Council and promoted a whole-of-government approach for R&I, notably via the creation of several EU Missions to solve major ecological, societal and economical challenges. 

From 2015 to 2018, he was Deputy Secretary-General of the European Commission, in charge of Better Regulation and Policy Coordination, covering all policy areas related to the EU Green Deal.

He also led the development of the Trans-European Transport Network Policy and was responsible for Europe’s transport infrastructure policy and investment strategies, the single European rail area, inland waterways and port policy.

In all his endeavours, he puts co-creation and systemic change at the heart of the decision-making process, and strongly believes that citizens should be more involved in shaping public policy agendas.