New European commissioner

The identity of the new European Union agriculture commissioner, who will be responsible for phasing out sugar quotas within the EU, has been revealed. He is Phil Hogan, 54, of Ireland, who has been an environment minister in his country.

In a letter to the Irishman, the incoming Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, tasked Hogan with immediately reviewing EU subsidy systems – asking him to assess the “potential for further simplification in … direct payments,” as well as EU food quality policies. Juncker stressed that Hogan should work to implement the recent reform to the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), once again looking for ways to simplify EU subsidy assistance and quota policies.

Another important nomination for the confectionery sector is Vytenis Andriukaitis, of Lithuania, as EU health commissioner, with responsibility for food health controls. He is a doctor and current health minister in his country. In a note to Andriukaitis, Juncker said that his mission should be to modernise and simplify existing EU legislation. Juncker stressed that the new EU health commissioner should always be ready to support EU countries dealing with food safety crises, a recurring problem in the EU in recent years, impacting the confectionery and sweet bakery sector.

“I would like you to focus on ensuring that the Commission is always ready to play its part in supporting the EU’s capacity to deal with crisis situations in food safety or pandemics” says Juncker in the letter.

A novel aspect of the new Juncker Commission is it will have influential vice presidents (also commissioners) responsible for co-ordinating broad policy areas favoured by the new Commission – most importantly economic growth and job creation.

Announcing the nomination of his new team, Juncker says: “I am presenting the team that will put Europe back on the path to jobs and growth.” The European Parliament will now send the nominee commissioners questionnaires about their planned future policies and the commissioners will be summoned to appear before parliamentary hearings in Brussels. Should MEPs be happy with what they hear, they will confirm the proposed commissioners in their jobs – to start work on 1 November.