Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle (born in 1963) is a French agricultural engineer. Ministerial Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture and Food since July 2018. Between 2013 and 2018 she was Under Secretary of State for the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food. For the first time in EU history, she is the sole candidate designated as the EU candidate for the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

by the

Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and less formally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven institutions of the European Union (EU) a ...

in October 2018.

Education and responsibilities

1986 : Engineer in agronomy,

AgroParisTech AgroParisTech (; officially ''Institut national des sciences et industries du vivant et de l’environnement'', or Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences)English naming according tEnglish brochure is a French h ...

(Paris) 1987 : Civil, water and forest engineer (ENGREF, Paris) 2001 / 2002 : Chair of the Codex Committee on General Principles (WHO-FAO) 2002 / 2006 : Vice-chair of the management board of

European Food Safety Authority The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. EFSA was established in February 2002 ...

President of a NGO providing social assistance to homeless people (Bail pour tous) Since 2017 Member of the Board of the

École nationale vétérinaire de Toulouse ' (; "National Veterinary School of Toulouse") is a veterinary school located in Toulouse, France. Established in 1825, it is also an institution of higher education and research and a teaching hospital. Overview Opened in 1828, the ENVT is th ...

(France)

Timeline

– January 1991 / to December 1993 : National Expert at the European Commission - Internal Market and Industry. – January 1994 / to May 1997 : Head of Office for Milk and Dairy Products, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. – June 1997 / to November 1998 : Adviser on animal production and the environment in the Private Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. – November 1998 / to July 2000 : Head of the International Exchanges Department of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. – August 2000 / to February 2003 : Director General of Food, appointed by the President of the French Republic – April 2003 / to June 2006 : Regional Director of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, at Ile-de-France Region – July 2006 / to August 2013 : Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – September 2013 / June 2018 : Director-General, appointed by the President of the French Republic, Directorate- General for the Economic and Environmental Performance of enterprises, Ministry of Agriculture and Food – France and the European Union's candidate to the position of FAO Director-General – Currently Ministerial Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture and Food ;

Controversies

In her bid to become the next Director General of the

, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle told

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

officials that she would not defend the EU position on genetically modified organisms or

GMO A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with ...

s and instead will support

interests. This has caused a debate in the French media who accused her of betraying EU interests, albeit being the EU candidate, only to gain the support of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Favorite pour la présidence de la FAO, la candidate française serait favorable aux OGM et aux biotechnologies
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geslain-Lanéelle, Catherine 1964 births Living people 20th-century French women engineers ParisTech alumni 20th-century French diplomats