Ciolos: A Commissioner with a budget the size of Romania's

Dacian Ciolos, nominated by the President of the European Commission for the agriculture portfolio, has every chance of being approved during European Parliament hearings, but he does not have the power to influence the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) from his position of European Commission representative, according to analysts and officials interviewed by Business Standard.

"Romanian disillusionment will come from the fact that we will be unable to influence the agricultural policy with a commissioner who holds this portfolio. First of all, Romania has not applied convergent policies, clear strategies, but has remained archaic. Also, CAP will focus increasingly on a competitive formula, and Romania will be disadvantaged because it is not among the major decision-making or market players," said the former head of the European Affairs Department, Vasile Puscas.

The Agriculture Commissioner will manage funds worth over €40 billion, or 41 percent of the whole of the European Union budget, according to data provided by the European Commission. This amount is equal to Romania's general consolidated budget, which includes this year's revenues worth €36 billion and expenses of €45 bln.

money.ro