Renate Nikolay is Deputy Director General in DG CNECT overseeing the enforcement of the digital rules (Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act), digital connectivity, data, media and audiovisual sectors as well as international and institutional matters. 

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From 2014 to 2022 she served as Head of Cabinet of Vĕra Jourová in her roles as Commissioner for Justice and Consumers and Vice-President for Values and Transparency focussing on justice matters as well as rule of law, media freedom and fight against illegal hate speech and disinformation.  She played a key role in the adoption of the data protection reform, the negotiations on an EU-US data transfer arrangement, the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor and the Code of Conduct with platforms on online hate speech. 

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Between 2011 and 2014 she led the Unit on interinstitutional and international relations in DG Justice dealing with legislative files and international negotiations such as the ones with the US on data protection in law enforcement. 

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Prior to that she was advisor in the Cabinet of the first High Representative / Vice President Cathy Ashton where she led on the relations with the European Parliament in setting up the European External Action Service and on relations with Asia, particularly China. From 2004-2009 she was member of the Cabinet of the Trade Commissioners Peter Mandelson and Baroness Cathy Ashton where she was part of the negotiating team in the trade talks in the multilateral trade round of the World Trade Organisation (the Doha Round) and the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement which was finalised in 2009. 

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She started her career in the European Commission in the Directorate General for Trade in 2003 dealing with the accession negotiations of Vietnam to the World Trade Organisation and cooperation with Member States in the Trade Policy Committee. Prior to that she was a diplomat in the German Permanent Representation in Brussels and worked as private Secretary to the German G7 Sherpa in the German Ministry of Economics. 

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Renate Nikolay holds a law degree (Erstes und Zweites Staatsexamen) from the Free University in Berlin and a master as a Fulbright Scholar in Washington DC. She was also an Erasmus Scholar in France/Grenoble.