Former European Commissioner and Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Mr Peter Sutherland, is to become chairman of the advisory board of the Brussels based think-tank, the European Policy Centre.

Mr Sutherland, who is chairman of Goldman Sachs International and co-chairman of BP Amoco, was formally appointed to the post yesterday.

In his foreword to the EPC's annual report, Mr Sutherland said: "At this moment, the EU needs the best possible advice emerging from open and vigorous debate. The European Policy Centre has worked to stimulate such a debate among all the different strands of European society."