BRUSSELS—Dita Charanzová and Zeger Vercouteren have joined Covington’s EU Public Policy Practice as senior advisors, based in the firm’s Brussels office.
Dita Charanzová has more than two decades of experience in EU institutions, diplomacy and international relations. She served as Vice-President of the European Parliament from July 2019 to July 2024, having joined as an MEP in July 2014. Prior to her tenure with the European Parliament, Dita worked in the diplomatic service of the Czech Republic for eight years, four of which she spent in the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU. During the Czech presidency of the EU in 2009, she chaired the Trade Policy Committee of the Council of the European Union.
During her tenure with the European Parliament, Dita focused primarily on the digital agenda, consumer protection, the internal market and international trade in the European Parliament. She played a significant role in the negotiations of the key EU digital legislation such as Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) and the General Product Safety Regulation.
Zeger Vercouteren brings over 25 years of experience in the life sciences sector having most recently served as the Vice-President for Government Affairs & Policy at Johnson & Johnson EMEA. Zeger’s substantial experience spans government affairs, public policy, trade, market access, regulatory affairs, and stakeholder engagement. Zeger served as the Chair of AmCham EU for 3 years between 2020 and 2023. In that capacity he represented the US industry investing in building strong bridges with Europe against the background of a delicate stage in the Trans-Atlantic relationship, led the industry through the COVID crisis and expanded the membership to an all-time high.
Zeger advises multinational companies on EU government affairs, regulatory strategy, and public policy, with a particular focus on helping clients navigate complex European or multi-lateral legislative and regulatory environments. He brings decades of experience working at the intersection of law, policy, and business, and is recognized for his pragmatic, solution-oriented approach to engaging with EU institutions, multilateral organistions and stakeholders. Drawing on deep institutional knowledge and extensive networks, Zeger helps clients anticipate regulatory and market access developments, manage risk, and advance their strategic objectives in Europe.
Wolfgang Maschek, head of the firm’s European Public Policy practice, commented: “Technology and life sciences are two of the most strategically important industry sectors in the world today, each with its own complex policy and regulatory challenges, and we are delighted to be able to welcome heavyweight experts in those two fields to our European team.”
He added: “Joining a deep bench of senior advisors at Covington across Europe, including former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, former EU Commissioners Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Cecilia Malmström and Andris Pielbags, and former Ambassadors Péter Balás, Jean De Ruyt and Thomas Reilly, we know Dita and Zeger will be invaluable additional assets to the firm’s clients as they navigate the intersection of regulatory oversight, geopolitical risk, and commercial imperatives.”
Dita Charanzová commented: “EU’s Digital Agenda transcends industries and is at the heart of so many developments affecting corporates across the European Union and beyond. I hope that my understanding of the underlining trends in this space will be of help to clients keen to invest and innovate in Europe.”
Zeger Vercouteren added: “Life sciences has long been seen as one of the European industry’s crown jewels, leading on innovation. It is no doubt a field shaped by rapidly evolving regulatory and policy dynamics. I am incredibly excited to join Covington’s esteemed public policy and life sciences teams and to work with clients navigating these complexities at a critical moment for the industry and governments alike.”
Dita is a graduate of the University of Economics in Prague and the Diplomatic School of Spain in Madrid. She speaks Czech, English, French, Spanish and Russian. She is Vice-President of the Aspen Institute Central Europe and board member of Brussels think tank CEPS.
Zeger holds a Master of Law from Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven, and a Master of Business Administration from the Solvay Business School at Université Libre de Bruxelles, and speaks Dutch, French, English, Spanish, and Catalan.
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