Lars Hoelgaard

Lars Hoelgaard is Deputy Director General in the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Commission, where he has been since 2004. He is in charge of the Directorates C (Economics of agricultural markets and CMO) and D (Direct support, market measures, promotion). In EU jargon this is called Pillar I of the CAP with Rural Development being Pillar II. From 2002-2004 he was Director for Markets in livestock products, specializing in crops and wine. From 1997 to 2002 he was Director for Markets in crop products. From 1989 to 1997 he was Director for Public, animal and plant health. As such he was in charge of the legislation in relation to Agriculture and the creation of the Single Market in 1992 and subsequent implementation. After his graduation in Economics from the University in Copenhagen in 1974, he started his career in the Ministry of Agriculture in Denmark. From 1980 to 1983 he was Agricultural Counsellor at the Danish Permanent Representation to the EC in Brussels. After his return to the Ministry, he took up a position as Assistant Secretary in charge of general EC-affairs and Danish Spokesman in the Special Committee for Agriculture, a position he held until joining the European Commission in 1989.