Dacian Cioloş
Encyclopedia
Dacian Cioloş is a Romania
n engineer and politician. In the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
cabinet, he was Agriculture Minister from October 2007 to December 2008. In November 2009, European Commission
President
José Manuel Barroso nominated him to be the next Agriculture Commissioner
, a post he assumed in February 2010.
and after graduating from the agro-industrial high school in Şimleu Silvaniei
in 1987, attended the Horticulture faculty of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca from 1989 to 1994, graduating as a horticultural engineer. He also holds degrees in the economy of agricultural development from the École nationale supérieure agronomique de Rennes
and from the University of Montpellier 1
, where he earned a master's in 1997 and a doctorate in 2006. He has belonged to the agricultural think tank
Groupe de Bruges
since 2000. He is married. Although in Romania Cioloş is a political independent
, he is affiliated with the European People's Party
(EPP) at the European level
.
From 1991 to 1996, Cioloş completed thirteen months' worth of internships on organic farms in the French
region of Brittany
. In the summer of 1995, he prepared a rural development project between Savoie
and Argeş County
, while working at the Aveyron
agricultural chamber of commerce in Rodez
during 1997, studying agricultural and rural development in the northern part of that department. In 1997 and 1999, he interned
as an agro-economist at the European Commission
's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
in Brussels
, helping prepare the Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development
(SAPARD). In 1998-1999, he directed a local rural development programme in Argeş County, again cooperating with Savoie. From 1999 to 2001, he worked at two agricultural development agencies in France, coordinating joint programmes with Romania in that field. From 2002 to 2003, as part of the European Commission's delegation to Romania, he helped manage SAPARD's implementation in his native country. From January 2005 to May 2007, he was an adviser to Romania's Agriculture Minister, and a representative in the European Council
's Special Committee on Agriculture. From May to October 2007, he was undersecretary of state for European affairs at the ministry. Following the resignation of Decebal Traian Remeş
due to a corruption scandal, he was appointed Agriculture Minister in October 2007, serving until the following December, when Tăriceanu's National Liberal Party
-led government left office after a parliamentary election
. Early in 2009, he returned to work at the Agriculture and Rural Development DG, and that July, President
Traian Băsescu
named him to head a one-year commission looking at public agricultural development policies.
government, which hopes to secure the Agriculture portfolio
in the second Barroso Commission
, nominated Cioloş as Romania's EU Commissioner. The proposal was criticised by the opposition Liberals and Social Democrats
, who saw it as a last-ditch maneuver by a government on the brink of collapse, as well as by the Party of European Socialists
, who believe the position ought to go to a Social Democrat. Boc's cabinet did indeed collapse the day after nominating Cioloş, when it lost a motion of no confidence
.
At the end of November, Barroso nominated Cioloş to the Agriculture position, observing that his was the "most competent" name of those submitted for consideration, and lauding his "modern vision" of agriculture and rural development. The British
magazine Farmers Weekly
considered the nomination "a controversial choice", citing recent mismanagement by Romania of EU funds, but also acknowledged his "broad agricultural experience". England and Wales' National Farmers Union as well as Scotland's NFU
welcomed the appointment. Italian
Minister of Agriculture
Luca Zaia
and French
President Nicolas Sarkozy
likewise congratulated Cioloş. German
news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur
and British newspaper The Independent
both criticised the nomination due to the funds mismanagement issue, with French daily Ouest-France
alleging that the cause of British indignation was the perception that Cioloş would be akin to a second French EU Commissioner, given his close ties to that country.
After winning approval from the European Parliament
in February 2010, Cioloş set forth his priority: maintaining a "thriving agricultural sector" in order to ensure food security
, environmental preservation and protection of the countryside, help combat global warming
and maintain a "fair standard of living" for farmers. As part of this objective, he promises to continue adapting and restructuring the Common Agricultural Policy
.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n engineer and politician. In the Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu
Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu is a Romanian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Romania between 29 December 2004 and 22 December 2008...
cabinet, he was Agriculture Minister from October 2007 to December 2008. In November 2009, European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
President
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
José Manuel Barroso nominated him to be the next Agriculture Commissioner
European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development is a member of the European Commission. The post is currently held by Commissioner Dacian Cioloş...
, a post he assumed in February 2010.
Background and government career
He was born in ZalăuZalau
Zalău is the seat of Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2004, its estimated population was 62,900.- Ancient times :Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", 8 kilometers away from the historical landmark of Porolissum, a well-preserved Roman Castrum with an imposing fortress,...
and after graduating from the agro-industrial high school in Şimleu Silvaniei
Simleu Silvaniei
Şimleu Silvaniei is a town in Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 16,066 people .Three villages are administered by the town: Bic , Cehei and Pusta .-History:...
in 1987, attended the Horticulture faculty of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca from 1989 to 1994, graduating as a horticultural engineer. He also holds degrees in the economy of agricultural development from the École nationale supérieure agronomique de Rennes
École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes
The École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes is a French grande école created in 1830. It trains students mostly in the agronomy and life sciences fields.-External links:...
and from the University of Montpellier 1
University of Montpellier 1
The University of Montpellier 1 is a French university, in the Academy of Montpellier. It is one of the three successor universities to the University of Montpellier.-See also:* University of Montpellier...
, where he earned a master's in 1997 and a doctorate in 2006. He has belonged to the agricultural think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
Groupe de Bruges
Groupe de Bruges
This article is about the agricultural policy think-tank. For the Eurosceptic think-tank see Bruges GroupThe Groupe de Bruges is a European think-tank specializing in agriculture and rural development...
since 2000. He is married. Although in Romania Cioloş is a political independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, he is affiliated with the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
(EPP) at the European level
European political party
A European political party, formally a political party at European level, informally a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe and in the institutions of the European Union. They are regulated and funded by the European Union and are usually made up...
.
From 1991 to 1996, Cioloş completed thirteen months' worth of internships on organic farms in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
region of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. In the summer of 1995, he prepared a rural development project between Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
and Argeş County
Arges County
Argeș is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Pitești.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians – 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:...
, while working at the Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
agricultural chamber of commerce in Rodez
Rodez
Rodez is a town and commune in southern France, in the Aveyron department, of which it is the capital. Its inhabitants are called Ruthénois.-History:Existing from at least the 5th century BC, Rodez was founded by the Celts...
during 1997, studying agricultural and rural development in the northern part of that department. In 1997 and 1999, he interned
Traineeship scheme of the European Commission
The traineeship scheme of the European Commission is an internship program providing official in-service training with the European Commission, aimed at young university graduates...
as an agro-economist at the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
The Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development or DG AGRI is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG AGRI is responsible for the European Union policy area of agriculture and rural development...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, helping prepare the Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development
Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development
SAPARD was established in June 1999 by the Council of the European Union to help countries of Central and Eastern Europe deal with the problems of the structural adjustment in their agricultural sectors and rural areas, as well as in the implementation of the acquis communautaire concerning the...
(SAPARD). In 1998-1999, he directed a local rural development programme in Argeş County, again cooperating with Savoie. From 1999 to 2001, he worked at two agricultural development agencies in France, coordinating joint programmes with Romania in that field. From 2002 to 2003, as part of the European Commission's delegation to Romania, he helped manage SAPARD's implementation in his native country. From January 2005 to May 2007, he was an adviser to Romania's Agriculture Minister, and a representative in the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
's Special Committee on Agriculture. From May to October 2007, he was undersecretary of state for European affairs at the ministry. Following the resignation of Decebal Traian Remeş
Decebal Traian Remeş
Decebal Traian Remeş is a Romanian economist and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party , he was a member of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies for Maramureş County from 1996 to 2000...
due to a corruption scandal, he was appointed Agriculture Minister in October 2007, serving until the following December, when Tăriceanu's National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
-led government left office after a parliamentary election
Romanian legislative election, 2008
Legislative elections were held in Romania on November 30, 2008. The Democratic Liberal Party won most seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, although the alliance headed by the Social Democratic Party won a fractionally higher vote share.-Electoral System:President Traian Băsescu...
. Early in 2009, he returned to work at the Agriculture and Rural Development DG, and that July, President
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
named him to head a one-year commission looking at public agricultural development policies.
Nomination and term as EU Commissioner for Agriculture
In October 2009, the Emil BocEmil Boc
Emil Boc is the Prime Minister of Romania, having served since December 2008. In June 2004, he was elected Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. Boc is also the president of the Democratic Liberal Party, who designated him as Prime Minister in 2008. On October 13, 2009, his...
government, which hopes to secure the Agriculture portfolio
European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development is a member of the European Commission. The post is currently held by Commissioner Dacian Cioloş...
in the second Barroso Commission
Barroso Commission
The Barroso Commission is the European Commission that has been in office since 22 November 2004 and is due to serve until 2014. Its president is José Manuel Barroso, who presides over 26 other commissioners...
, nominated Cioloş as Romania's EU Commissioner. The proposal was criticised by the opposition Liberals and Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
, who saw it as a last-ditch maneuver by a government on the brink of collapse, as well as by the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
, who believe the position ought to go to a Social Democrat. Boc's cabinet did indeed collapse the day after nominating Cioloş, when it lost a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
.
At the end of November, Barroso nominated Cioloş to the Agriculture position, observing that his was the "most competent" name of those submitted for consideration, and lauding his "modern vision" of agriculture and rural development. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
magazine Farmers Weekly
Farmers Weekly
Farmers Weekly is a magazine aimed at the British farming industry. It provides news; business features; a weekly digest of facts and figures about British, European and world agriculture; and Livestock, Arable and Machinery sections with reports on technical developments, farm sales and analysis...
considered the nomination "a controversial choice", citing recent mismanagement by Romania of EU funds, but also acknowledged his "broad agricultural experience". England and Wales' National Farmers Union as well as Scotland's NFU
National Farmers Union of Scotland
The National Farmers Union of Scotland is an organisation that promotes and protects the interests of the farming industry in Scotland. It was formed in 1913, and has approximately 10,000 members who are farmers, crofters, and others involved in Scottish agriculture.The current President is Jim...
welcomed the appointment. Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Minister of Agriculture
Italian Minister of Agriculture
The Italian Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies is the head of the Republic of Italy's Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. The ministry had been abolished by legislative referendum in 1993, during a period of great upheaval and financial sacrifices, but it was...
Luca Zaia
Luca Zaia
Luca Zaia is an Italian Venetist politician, member of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord.Since March 2010 Zaia is President of Veneto...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
likewise congratulated Cioloş. German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH is a news agency founded in 1949 in Germany. Based in Hamburg, it has grown to be a major worldwide operation serving print media, radio, television, online, mobile phones, and national news agencies. News is available in German, English, Spanish, and Arabic.The DPA...
and British newspaper The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
both criticised the nomination due to the funds mismanagement issue, with French daily Ouest-France
Ouest-France
Ouest-France is a provincial daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on local news and events. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régions of Brittany, Lower Normandy and Pays de la Loire...
alleging that the cause of British indignation was the perception that Cioloş would be akin to a second French EU Commissioner, given his close ties to that country.
After winning approval from the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in February 2010, Cioloş set forth his priority: maintaining a "thriving agricultural sector" in order to ensure food security
Food security
Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. According to the World Resources Institute, global per capita food production has been increasing substantially for the past...
, environmental preservation and protection of the countryside, help combat global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and maintain a "fair standard of living" for farmers. As part of this objective, he promises to continue adapting and restructuring the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 ....
.