I am Dacian Cioloș, a Romanian politician born on 27 July 1969 in Zalău. I grew up in Pericei, a commune in Sălaj County, a place I will always call “home”.
From my family I have learned that work means life. From my grandfather I have learned that the centre of the world lies in people and in the earth, and that agriculture provides a fair relationship with the world.
Experience at EU level
2000Member of Bruges Group
An independent European group responsible for analyses and proposals on the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
2002–2003Manager of Agriculture and Rural Development
Manager of Agriculture and Rural Development (SAPARD) at the European Commission, part of EC Delegation in Romania.
2003–2004Applied research on agricultural professional organization
Institut National de Recherche Agronomie (INRA) Franța and École Nationale Superieure Agronomique Montpellier.
2010–2014European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Commission
The youngest commissioner on the team of President José Manuel Durão Barroso. The mandate oversaw the coordination and development of strategies at European and international level to generate political consensus around new policies for agriculture, food security, investment and rural development. In addition to the day-to-day management of a budget of EUR 60 billion, the mandate led to a major reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
2015Special adviser for food security
Appointed Special Adviser for food security by former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.
Iuly 2019–oct 2021President of Renew Europe
The Renew Europe Group is the third largest group in the European Parliament, bringing together centre-wing, liberal and progressive forces.
Activity at national level
Director of Local Rural Development in Argeș
MARCH 1998–OCTOBER 1999Director of the Local Rural Development program in Argeș, within the framework of cooperation between Savoia General Council and Argeș County Council.
Coordonator of Franco-Romanian program
NOVEMBER 1999–December 2001Coordinator of the Franco-Romanian cooperation program in agricultural and rural development at the International Centre for Agricultural Development Cooperation, in collaboration with the National Agricultural Development Association.
Romanian Representative on the Special Agricultural Committee
January 2005Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and a representative on the Special Agricultural Committee at the European Council.
Under Secretary of State for European Affairs
May-October 2007Under Secretary of State for European Affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Minister of Agriculture
October 2007Minister of Agriculture until the resignation of the cabinet subsequent to the parliamentary elections in November 2008.
Prime Minister of Romania
10 NOVEMBER 2015–JANUARY2017He led an independent political government in an election year, with the aim of organising proper local and parliamentary elections, also launching reforms in areas such as health, education, infrastructure, budgetary transparency, de-bureaucratisation of public administration.
Co-founder of RO100
DeCEMBER 2017Along with four other former colleagues in the 2016 government, he co-founded Romania100, a platform that aimed to articulate a sustainable development project by effectively using the natural and human resources of Romania. Its goal was to advance the modernisation of the country, to create opportunities for all those who want a better life and to strengthen the rule of law.
Co-founder of PLUS
January 2019Co-founder and President of the Party of Freedom, Unity and Solidarity (PLUS), today USR PLUS, after the union with USR party.
President of USR PLUS
October 2021 - february 2022President of the party USR PLUS.
Co-founder of REPER
MAY 2022–PresentCo-founder of the party REPER.
Education
1983-1987
Agricultural High School in Şimleu Silvaniei
1989-1994
Faculty of Horticulture at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca
Student Representative in the Senate of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV), and in the Administration Board of the Faculty of Horticulture in Cluj-Napoca, coordinator of the internship program for USAMV Cluj-Napoca students in agricultural farms in France, and initiator and founding member of the AGROECOLOGIA professional association.
1995-1996
Studied in-depth agronomy, specializing in "Production and Rural Development Systems" at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie in Rennes (1995–1996)
He followed internships in organic farming farms under the aegis of the Regional Federation of Organic Farmers of Brittany, studying the management of family farms, the principles of sustainable agriculture and the inter-professional organization of organic farming in France. Also, during the same period, I was part of the International Centre for Cooperation for Agricultural Development in Paris-Montreuil, in charge of preparing a decentralized cooperation project between Savoia-Argeş, for rural development.
1996-1997
Scientific master's degree in "Economics of Agricultural, Agri-Food and Rural Development" at Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie and Université Montpellier
During his studies, he worked as a trainee agri-economist at the European Commission (Brussels), within the Rural Development Division of the Directorate-General for Agriculture, preparing the SAPARD program, one of the three instruments of the European Union developed to support the preparations for the accession of the countries from Central and Eastern Europe.