As of 1 November 2022, eu-LISA Deputy Executive Director, Luca Tagliaretti, takes the role of Interim Executive Director, to further advance the Agency in its work in the area of freedom, security and justice in this transitional period. He is stepping in for Krum Garkov, who led the Agency since its establishment in 2012.
"We are all very grateful to Krum for his leadership and tireless work during the last 10 years. Under his guidance, eu-LISA has grown from a small technical agency into the Digital Heart of the Schengen Area, supporting the implementation of asylum, border management and migration policies in the European Union. This growth is continuing and the entire security ecosystem of the Schengen Area will soon evolve with the introduction of EES and ETIAS. eu-LISA, together with the EU Member States and Institutions, remains committed to safeguarding our borders and the EU citizens' fundamental right to free movement", says Luca Tagliaretti.
EES, the Entry/Exit System, and
ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, are two large-scale IT systems being developed by eu-LISA aimed at increasing automation at border controls, thus strengthening internal security and fighting terrorism as well as organised crime.
Background Information
The European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), was established in 2011 as a long-term solution to the management of large-scale information systems in the European JHA landscape. Today, it is at the forefront of Europe's information-driven border management and internal security, providing the expertise needed to manage and develop Justice and Home Affairs large-scale IT systems and their respective communication infrastructure, on a 24/7 basis. The headquarters of eu-LISA are in Tallinn (Estonia), operational management is carried out in Strasbourg (France) and a backup site is located in Sankt Johann im Pongau (Austria). The Agency also has a liaison office in Brussels (Belgium).
Luca Tagliaretti has almost 25 years of experience working in European Institutions and International Organisations. As of March 2020, he is the Deputy Executive Director of eu-LISA. Prior to that, he led the Technical Centre of the Central Bank's Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG) and worked at the European Central Bank in different roles. He holds an Engineering Degree from the Polytechnic of Milan, a Master´s Degree from the School of Management of the Polytechnic of Milan (MIP) and an MBA from Oxford Brookes University. He has also completed the Advanced Leadership and Management Programme (OALMP) at Saïd Business School, Oxford University and the Program of Negotiation (PON) at Harvard.
