Lithuania appoints new deputy agriculture minister to lead EU policy negotiations
Lithuania’s Agriculture Ministry has named Rolandas Taraškevičius as its new deputy minister, tasked with overseeing European Union agricultural policy and preparing for the country’s upcoming EU Council presidency in 2027, the ministry announced on Sunday.
Taraškevičius will focus on negotiations for the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027, coordinating Lithuania’s position in the next multiannual financial framework, according to a statement. His portfolio also includes international trade, economic diplomacy, and managing the ministry’s agricultural attachés abroad.
The appointment follows the January dismissal of former deputy minister Artūras Pekauskas, a nominee of the ruling Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS). Agriculture Minister Andrius Palionis confirmed that a second deputy minister will be named next week, while a replacement for another dismissed advisor, Mindaugas Petkevičius, remains pending.
Taraškevičius previously served as deputy agriculture minister from 2017–2018 under the Skvernelis government. His career spans EU accession negotiations, multiple CAP reforms since 2003, and roles including agricultural attaché in Brussels and senior advisor on agri-food development in Moldova. The ministry highlighted his experience in Lithuania’s 2013 EU Council presidency, where he chaired the Special Committee on Agriculture and participated in the first co-decision procedure for EU agricultural legislation.
Palionis noted that Taraškevičius’s expertise in trade and market diversification will support Lithuania’s agricultural exporters. His prior involvement in EU-level negotiations is seen as critical ahead of the 2027 presidency, where Lithuania will steer agricultural policy discussions among member states.
The ministry’s statement did not address the political dispute with LVŽS, which had demanded its nominees be placed in other ministries. Party leader Aurelijus Veryga previously rejected alternative advisory roles offered by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.