Brussels, 24/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission's agriculture directorate general, like the institution's other departments, will be cutting staff numbers by 1% a year over the next five years. Fifty European civil servant posts will be cut. Budgetary reasons are behind this measure, which will also be accompanied by an internal reorganisation.
There are 13 directorates currently making up DG Agriculture. By virtue of the decisions adopted by the College of Commissioners on Tuesday 22 October that will apply as of 1 January 2014, Directorates H (sustainability and quality of farming and rural development) and K (relations with the other institutions, communication and documentation) at DG Agriculture will be scrapped. This will help meet the 5% staff reduction target over five years, an objective provided for in the decisions on the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020. The number of directorates at DG Agriculture will therefore be reduced from thirteen to eleven as part of its restructuring exercise. Directorate A will no longer be in charge of multilateral affairs but will oversee bilateral relations with third countries. Multilateral affairs will be covered by Directorate B, which will also deal with the quality of agricultural production, including organic farming.
Taking account of the new CAP. Directorate C (economic analysis of agricultural markets and the single CMO) and Directorate D (direct aid, market management measures and promotion) will be reorganised in order to facilitate implementation of the reformed common agricultural policy (CAP). Setting up a “greening” unit is also planned, a flagship reform measure (30% of direct payments will be linked to respect for environmentally friendly measures).
3 deputy director posts to be filled. There are four deputy directors general at DG Agriculture. Hermanus Versteijlen has been appointed acting deputy director general in charge of directorates C, D and L (economic analysis, perspectives and evaluation), following the early retirement of Joao Pacheco. José Manuel Sousa Uva occupies the post of acting director general for directorates F, G and H (rural development), replacing Jerzy Bogdan Plewa, the new director-general of DG agriculture. Loretta Dormal-Marino, deputy director-general of directorates A and B, will leave her post at the beginning of next year. Applications for these three posts will be called for. (LC.transl.fl)