Paula Pinho is Director at the Directorate-General Energy in the European Commission since April 2021. She is responsible for Just Transition, Consumers, Energy Efficiency, Innovation and Energy security. A Portuguese national and lawyer by training, Ms Pinho draws on her extensive knowledge of various EU policies, and in particular EU energy policy, as well as on her leadership and negotiation skills towards her commitment to Europe’s clean and just energy transition and energy security.

Previously, Ms Pinho was Acting Director for Energy Policy where she has overseen notably the work of international energy relations, financial instruments and inter-institutional relations and has represented the Commission in the negotiation of several legislative proposals.

Between 2004 and 2015, Ms Pinho served as Member of Cabinet for several EU Commissioners, including Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger both in his quality of Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society and during his mandate as EU Commissioner for Energy. She was then responsible for energy security and infrastructure and the overall coordination of the international dimension of energy policy. In that capacity, she has been directly involved in the trilateral gas talks between the EU, Russia and Ukraine.

Other functions included the Directorate General for Internal Market and Directorate General for Trade, where Ms Pinho coordinated the FTA agreement negotiations with the Gulf countries, Mercosur and Chile.

Paula speaks fluently Portuguese, German, English and French, as well as Spanish and Italian.