Source: European Parliament
In the State of the Union address to the European Parliament on 13 September 2023, the President announced the launch of a strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the EU. Considering the complexity of the task, the Commission decided to entrust it to an external independent person.
Special Advisers are engaged to assist Members of the College based on the level of their professional experience and expertise. The choice of the chair of the strategic dialogue was based on his knowledge of the subject and professional experience, especially when it comes to his ability to navigate as a trusted arbitrator in complex negotiation processes with high-level stakeholders and to the proven capacity for consensus-building around complex issues.
As chairperson of the ‘Future Commission Agriculture’ (ZKL) of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (2021-2024), the professor delivered a report on the future of agriculture.
He led the ‘agricultural summit’ discussion with 40 associations and organisations.
He was also the president of the German Research Foundation from 2013 to 2019, i.e. with an interdisciplinary and academic management profile, and not a profile limited to medieval history.
Paid special advisers receive a fee for every day worked that is consistent with the level and the quality of the services expected from the special adviser and that is in accordance with the Rules on Special Advisers to the Commission.
Thanks to the chair’s engagement, the s trategic d ialogue brought together a highly diverse range of stakeholders specialized in farming issues, creating trust and presenting consensual solutions .