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The Dealer hears Michael Scannell is likely to become the new deputy director of DG Agri, the European Commission’s department of agriculture.
The Irishman is currently acting deputy director and would succeed Rudolf Mogele, who retired last month.
Scannell, a UCD graduate, has spent most of his career in the DG Sante, the Health and Food Safety wing of the Commission. He came home for a spell as head of the European Food and Veterinary Office, which is based in Meath. Prior to his arrival, and despite its Irish location, the FVO fell foul of Irish farmers over it’s “nothing to see here” attitude to beef standards in Brazil in 2007. The oversight of Brazilian standards could again develop into a battle between the European authorities and Irish farmers in 2019.
In Brussels, Scannell has always proven helpful to Irish delegations.
The other potential candidate for the deputy director post is also Irish, John Bell, currently director of Healthy Planet in DG Research and Innovation.
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