Mario Catania

Born in Rome on 5th March 1952. 

He has graduated in Jurisprudence at "La Sapienza" University in Rome on 5th July 1975 getting the maximum results.
 
After having succeeded a competition at the Ministry of agriculture and forestry, he has started his managing career at the Ministry, starting on 1st August 1978.
 
He has served at the Directorate General for General Affairs and, starting in the year 1987, at the Directorate General for Economic Protection of Agricultural Products, where he has dealt with the common agricultural policy.
 
In 1988 he has succeeded a competition becoming a Manager within the same Ministry starting its new duties as a manager on 16th April 1989 at the Directorate General for Economic Protection of Agricultural Products. His duties included the common agricultural policies within the animal husbandry' sector and, following, also quality policies. He has attended the works at the Council of the Ministers of Agriculture of the European Union and other community meetings where the issues falling within his competence were debated.
 
During the Italian Presidency of the European Union in 1990, he has been Chairman of the Union dairy working group. During the Italian Presidency in 1996 he has served as Italian Spokesman in the Special Committee on Agriculture of the EU, a community body arranging the Councils of the EU Ministers of Agriculture and deliberating on all those issues falling within its competences.
 
Since 1996 till nowadays, he has regularly attended the works of the Council of the EU Ministers of Agriculture, accompanying the pro-tempore Minister in the works and the community negotiations dealing with the common agricultural policies, also attending many missions and international meetings of the Minister. 
 
Since 1st September 1997 he has been working in Brussels at the Italian Permanent Representation at the European Union dealing with the relations with the community institutions and offices, and in the community regulations negotiations on agriculture. He has regularly attended the Council of the EU Ministers of Agriculture and the Special Committee on Agriculture of the EU keeping on assisting the pro-tempore Minister in the community and international negotiations and meetings.  

Starting on 1st December 1999 he has been appointed Head of the Delegation and Italian Spokesman in the Special Committee on Agriculture. During the Italian Presidency of the Union in 2003 he has been Chairman of the aforesaid Committee.
 
On September 2005 he has concluded its mandate at the Italian Permanent Representation at the European Union and he has been appointed Director General of the Directorate General of Agricultural Policies at the Ministry of agricultural and forestry policies. Such Directorate General is competent on the negotiations and implementation of the common agricultural policy and the international agreements.   
 
On 11th March 2008 he has been appointed Director General at the Directorate  General for Community and International Market Policies, envisaged by the new structure of the Ministry of agricultural food and forestry policies, within the meaning of the Decree of the President of the Republic of 9th January 2008, no.18. The afore said Directorate deals with the common agricultural policy and the international agreements. He has continued to serve as Italian Spokesman at the Special Committee on Agriculture and attend the works of the Council of the Ministers of Agriculture. 
 
On 12th November 2009 he has been appointed Head of the Department of European and International Policies of the Ministry of agricultural food and forestry policies being competent on the common agricultural policy and fisheries.