European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled her picks for the various European Commissioners, with a changing of the guard at the agriculture portfolio.
While these proposed commissioners have to be ratified by the European Parliament, it is rare for the parliament to reject the commission president’s proposed picks.
That means that the incoming European Commissioner for Agriculture is most likely to be Luxembourg’s Christophe Hansen, who von der Leyen has appointed to the role.
He will take over from Poland’s Janusz Wojciechowski, who has held the brief since 2019.
Hansen had been considered a favourite for the role as agriculture commissioner despite the fact that agriculture only represents 0.2% of his country’s economy and employs 0.8% of Luxembourg’s 653,000 people.
He was, however, the only one to publicly express explicit interest in the agriculture brief.
Hansen is a farmer’s son, and is a first cousin of Luxembourg’s current agriculture minister, Martine Hansen.
He has a masters degree in geosciences, environmental sciences and risk management.
In Luxembourg, he joined the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, where he established the European Affairs Office in Brussels and, under Luxembourg’s presidency of the Council of the EU in 2015, he chaired the Council Working Party.
Hansen also served as a member of the European Parliament since 2018, serving on various committees such as international trade; environment; public health and food safety; and employment and social affairs.
He also advised former Luxembourgish MEP Astrid Lulling on issues relating to agriculture, environment and economic and monetary issues from 2007 to 2014.
In 2022, he led negotiations on the EU’s new deforestation rules, and in 2019, he acted as a rapporteur on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans and drinking water directives, and helped steer national plans for EU farm policy.
According to President von der Leyen, Hansen will be tasked with implementing the recently announced results of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture.
Based on that, Hansen will be asked to develop a vision for agriculture and food in the first 100 days of his mandate.
Other EU commissioners
Between the commission’s commissioners, vice-presidents and executive vice-presidents, 26 members of the commission were appointed today, one for each member state (with President von der Leyen herself holding Germany’s seat on the EU’s executive branch).
Importantly, there has been a portfolio created that includes “animal welfare” in the title. This is the role of Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, which has gone to Hungary’s Oliver Varhely.
He will be responsible for building the European Health Union and continuing the work on “beating cancer and on preventative health”, President von der Leyen said.
There are also some familiar faces that will remain in the incoming commission, including current European Green Deal commissioner Maros Sefcovic and current trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
In the new commission, Sefcovic will be given Dombrovskis’ trade brief (an important role in terms of how international trade agreements can impact farmers), while the latter will take on the role of Commissioner for Economy and Productivity.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s commissioner nominee Michael McGrath has been given the important portfolio of Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law.
Commenting on McGrath’s appointment, his party leader, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, said: “I have no doubt [McGrath] will serve on the commission with great energy and diligence in this significant role, protecting the rights of consumers, the rule of law and tackling corruption.”