The new French Minister of Agriculture and Food, Didier Guillaume, said on Tuesday 23 October that he supported the candidacy of “France and the EU Member States” for the FAO Directorate-General, led by Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle (see EUROPE 12117).
The EU wanted to set up a process to strengthen coordination between its Member States and "initiate a European dynamic in the context of the renewal of the mandate of the Director-General of FAO", explains the French Ministry. Even if there is no formal procedure at EU level, France considers that the Agriculture Council of 15 October last "gave broad support to this application: Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle is now the candidate of France and the EU countries".
The term of office of the Director-General of FAO (the Brazilian José Graziano da Silva) expires at the end of 2019. Candidates for this position are invited to apply as of December 1st.
The Frenchwoman "will be our common candidate”, the Austrian Minister for Sustainability and Tourism, Elisabeth Köstinger, told the press after the Agriculture Council, of which she holds the six-monthly presidency. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)