Lionel Mesnildrey (BEL)

Lionel Mesnildrey is currently Deputy Head of the unit that deals with relations with Asia, Australia and New Zealand in the Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate-General of the European Commission. Since 2004 he has acquired experience in international affairs in the agricultural area, having previously been in charge of relations with the Near and Middle East and Latin America. He was directly involved in the negotiations between the EU and a large number of countries in these regions, in particular with respect to market access and geographical indications. Previously, he worked on the EU plant health legislation, first as an auditor in the then Food and Veterinary office in Dublin and then in the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. Before joining the European Commission in 1997, Mesnildrey was employed in a private company dealing with agri-input business based in the French West Indies.