COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission announces two Director-Generals for the departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Today, the European Commission has decided to appoint Mr Wolfgang Burtscher as Director-General for the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and Ms Kerstin Jorna as Director-General for the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW). Both appointments follow a full selection procedure on the basis of merit in accordance with the Commission’s rules and procedures for senior managers and will take effect on 1 April 2020. After a career in the Austrian and international public sector, Mr Burtscher joined the Commission in 2000 as Director in DG Agriculture and Rural Development working first on Agricultural Legislation and then on Audit of Agricultural Expenditure. He was appointed in 2009 as Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD), where he has been responsible for a wide range of research and innovation policy issues including in the fields of agriculture, food and health. Ms Jorna has had a long career in the Commission including assignments at senior management level in the previous Directorate-General for Internal Market (MARKT) and in DG GROW, and has served as Head of Cabinet for two different Commissioners. Since 2016, she has been Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN).