Letse eurocommissaris Kalniete verrast door haar post op Landbouw (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - In an interview with the EUobserver, Latvia's future commissioner Sandra Kalniete, has said she is "surprised" with the decision taken by the European Commission to assign her the area of agriculture, as she was aspiring to a different brief.

Ms Kalniete said that she would have preferred the area of external relations, particularly enlargement.

"For me the decision was a surprise. As a career diplomat I would have preferred external relations, and I was particularly hoping to work with Commissioner Verheugen", she told this news-site.

"I have no economic background and I was aspiring to a different area", she added.

Nevertheless, she accepted the decision to be assigned with agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler, as she considers it to be a very important area for the accession countries.

"I accept it as a challenge. I hope in a few days time I'll be able to meet Commissioner Fischler to see how he sees my involvement in his portfolio".

Sandra Kalniete, along with the other nine new Commissioners, was "twinned" with some of the present Commissioners, where they will "shadow" their areas for the following six months.

Although they will have full voting rights from 1 May, they will not have their own portfolio until the present Commission's term ends.

Minister Kalniete, however, revealed that her area of preference for the next Commission's term will still be related to external relations.

"It will depend on these six months. But still I would prefer a portfolio in the area of external relations", she said.

Commission of 30 complete

Minister Kalniete is not the only one surprised about the brief assigned. Lithuania's Dalia Grybauskaite who was assigned the area of education and culture would have rather got the areas covered by Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer or Economic Affairs Commissioner Pedro Solbes.

The area of budget was assigned to the Cypriot Commissioner Markos Kyprianou while the economic issues were given to Estonia's Siim Kallas. Hungarian Péter Balàzs will follow the regional policy, Maltese Commissioner Joe Borg will be on development and humanitarian aid while Poland's Danuta Hübner is assigned to Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy.

Slovakia's Commissioner Jan Figel is "twinned" to Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, Slovenia's Janez Potocnik is assigned to the Enlargement Commissioner while the Czech Commissioner Milos Kuzvart will be following health and consumer protection.