Will Phil Hogan be succeeded by a Pole?

Phil Hogan, incumbent European Commissioner of Agriculture, may switch to another post in the next term. Poland would be eligible to supply the new European Commissioner for Agriculture, but other Eastern European member states are also showing interest in the portfolio.

In the coming days, Ursula von der Leyen, the new president of the European Commission, will probably announce the new names and numbers for the new Commission. The rumor mill is in full swing at the moment.

Poland
Phil Hogan, who was appointed European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development in 2014, has been named for an economic position within the new committee composition. His successor would possibly be someone from Poland. Von der Leyen offered the Pole Krzysztof Szczerski the post, but he turned him down. In an interview says Szczerski does not have sufficient knowledge of the sector. He therefore nominates colleague Janusz Wojciechowski for this post.

Other names are also mentioned in the corridors. The strongest rumor is about the Bulgarian Mariya Gabriel. She is now working on digitization but would like an upgrade. The agricultural portfolio suits her, as she was already active in the European Parliament in the field of agriculture between 2009 and 2014.

Distribution of agricultural funds
The European Commissioner for Agriculture is a heavy responsibility, given that more than 35% of the total annual European budget (€140 billion) is determined by that official. Another challenge is the new pending Common Agricultural Policy.

A possible appointment of a Polish European Commissioner for Agriculture would be remarkable, given that Eastern European countries have been arguing for a larger share of European agricultural funds for years. Poland is the largest recipient of European funds for agriculture. Poland receives 40% of the total agricultural budget.

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is Head of Meat & Dairy at BoerenbusinessAt DCA Market Intelligence, he focuses on dairy, pork, and meat markets. He also monitors (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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