Danish commissioner Boel to quit EU in November
(COPENHAGEN) - Denmark's EU Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel will stand down from her post at the European Commission in November, an aide to Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Monday.
The 66-year-old Boel, who is the EU executive's Agriculture and Rural Development commissioner, told the Danish premier and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso last week that she "wanted to leave her post at the end of her (five-year) mandate," an aide to the head of the Danish government told AFP.
The former Danish agriculture and fisheries minister told Denmark's TV News that she had had "five enjoyable years with the commission" but that she wanted to spend more time with her family and running her own farm.
In an interview with the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, Boel rejected speculation that her departure had been hastened as result of pressure from larger member states that opposed her policies.
France for example has been a vocal critic of her efforts to reform the European wine industry.
"Even if I'm in good shape, you cannot avoid the fact that five years of a heavy workload takes its toll ... the job of agriculture commissioner is really tough," Boel was quoted as saying.
Several names are in the frame to take over from Boel as Denmark's EU commissioner.
Danish media reports say Climate and Energy Minister Connie Hedegaard, Agriculture and Fishieries Minister Eva Kjer Hansen and International Cooperation Minister Ulla Toernaes are those under consideration for a move to Brussels.
Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen will chose Boel's replacement within the coming weeks, aides said.
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