European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development

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European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development is a member of the European Commission. The post is currently held by Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel (ALDE)

The post is in charge of rural issues including most notably the controversial Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which represents 44% of the EU budget.

[edit] Current commissioner

In June 2006 Commissioner Fischer Boel set out a plan to tackle Europe's "Wine lakes" - the overproduction of wine due to EU policies and subsidies. Reducing production, in party by wiping out areas of vineyards and increasing quality to compete with New World wines should keep Europe as a major wine exporter and get rid of "crisis distillation" - turning excess wine into fuel and industrial alcohol.^[1]

In January 2007 she caused anger among a number of European farmers for stating that, after 2013, agricultural subsidies would face substantial cuts. She aims to have the agricultural policy included in the 2008-2009 budget review as requested by the United Kingdom.^[2] She has also been seeking to simplify the regulation of the CAP.^[3]

[edit] List of commissioners

	Name	Country	Period	European Commission
1	Sicco Mansholt	Netherlands	1958-1972	Hallstein Commission, Rey Commission, Malfatti Commission
2	Carlo Scarascia-Mugnozza	Italy	1972-1973	Mansholt Commission
3	Pierre Lardinois	Netherlands	1973-1981	Ortoli Commission
4	Finn Olav Gundelach	Denmark	1981-1985	Jenkins Commission, Thorn Commission
5	Frans Andriessen	Netherlands	1985-1989	Delors Commission I
6	Ray MacSharry	Ireland	1989-1992	Delors Commission II
7	René Steichen	Luxembourg	1992-1995	Delors Commission III
8	Franz Fischler	Austria	1995-2004	Santer Commission, Marín Commission and Prodi Commission
9	Sandra Kalniete	Latvia	2004	Prodi Commission
10	Mariann Fischer Boel	Denmark	2004-present	Barroso Commission