Brussels, Belgium
September 14, 2009

Source: USDA/FAS GAIN report E49066

Report highlights

Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel announced her retirement effective from the end of the current Commission mandate. Although it is unclear when the current Commission mandate will expire (as it is dependant on the result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on October 2 and the final ratification in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic), it seems certain that it will continue past November 1, 2009. Both Commission President Jose Borosso and the Danish government had requested Fischer Boel to stay on in the next Commission. However, she reportedly feels that it is time for a younger person to take on the role. FAS US/EU will report on possible candidates to succeed Fischer Boel as well as other personnel movements when the situation becomes clearer.

General information

Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel announced her retirement effective from the end of the current Commission mandate. Commission President Jose Barroso was apparently informed of Fischer Boel’s decision last Thursday, September 10, 2009. Her decision was confirmed in the margins of the Informal Farm Council convened in Vaxjo on September 13, 2009. Although both Borosso and the Danish government had requested her to stay on in the next Commission, she reportedly feels that it is time for a younger person to take on the role. It is unclear when the current Commission mandate will expire (as it is dependant on the result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on October 2 and the final ratification in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic), although it seems certain that it will continue past November 1, 2009.

During Fischer Boel’s five years as Agriculture Commissioner, she was responsible for the reforms of the sugar sector (2005), fruit and vegetables sector (2007) and wine sector (2007). In November 2008 she completed the ‘Health Check’ of the Common Agriculture Policy, implying a shift of around €0.9 billion from direct support to rural development over four years. It is anticipated that this will provide the Commission’s DG Agriculture with a stronger case for justifying farm spending after 2013. Fischer Boel has publicly acknowledged the significance of plant biotechnology, asserting that Member States must stop blocking biotech import authorizations in order to secure feed supplies. She has also focused on the supply chain by citing the asymmetry between the price of raw materials used in food production and products at retail level.

FAS US/EU will report on possible candidates to succeed Fischer Boel as well as other personnel movements when the situation becomes clearer.

Website: http://www.fas.usda.gov/

Published: September 17, 2009