The Cyprus presidency of the EU has acknowledged that there is still no agreed EU candidate to run as the next head of the United Nations food agency.
Ireland has nominated former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan for the post, but is facing strong competition from Italy and Spain.
Europe has not held the top position in the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for 50 years and agriculture ministers, as well as the European Commission, have recently committed to finding an agreed EU candidate to enhance the prospects of a European director-general.
However, in a letter to member states, the Cypriot agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou has acknowledged that there are still three candidates for the job.
Officials have pointed out that time is running short given the aim of having an agreed EU candidate by July at the latest.
The election for a new FAO director-general will take place in July 2027, with 193 UN member states taking part in the vote.
The Cypriot agriculture minister is holding bilateral phone calls with all EU member states from Wednesday of this week until Friday to sound out their positions on which candidate they would prefer, or whether or not any of the three countries is likely to withdraw their candidate.
Spain has nominated its current agriculture minister Luis Planas for the job, while Italy has put forward Maurizio Martina, currently a deputy director-general at FAO.
Irish officials privately acknowledge that Spain and Italy appear unlikely to withdraw their candidates from the race.
Despite that, the Government is continuing to push Phil Hogan's candidacy.
In Brussels this week, the Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne said: "The Irish Government is supporting Phil Hogan. We think Phil is a very experienced person, he's a politician of long standing, a senior minister in Ireland, a senior commissioner here in Brussels as well. So we think that he would be the ideal European Union candidate and we continue to support him."
According to an internal Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine memo: "Mr Hogan brings nearly 40 years of public experience, including senior national, European and multilateral leadership roles. He has led multi-billion euro portfolios, delivered complex institutional reforms and represented the EU at the FAO, WTO, G20 so we're putting forward a credible reform-capable candidate at a time of increased global pressure on food security and food systems."
The note adds: "Ireland is a strong supporter of multilateralism and the UN system, Ireland's increased engagement with the Rome-based agencies, FAO, WFP and IFAD and the nomination reflect Ireland’s commitment to effective global institutions, rules-based governance and food security."
The letter from Ms Panayiotou to member states acknowledges that under UN rules, putting forward a candidate is the prerogative of UN member countries, notwithstanding efforts at EU level to secure a single nominee.
It’s understood the Cypriot agriculture minister told member states that the Cyprus presidency remains convinced that "reaching consensus on a single EU candidate remains of utmost importance to increase the chances of electing an EU national".
This would "reinforce the EU’s leadership of promoting global food security in times of high geopolitical instability".
However, it’s understood she told member states that any efforts at EU level to agree a single candidate "are in full respect of and in recognition of the fact that advancing a candidate is the national prerogative of any state, and these efforts to conclude with a single candidate are without prejudice to this right".
EU agriculture ministers agreed unanimously at an informal lunch on 23 February to find an agreed European candidate for the post.
However, Ireland, Spain and Italy have all put forward candidates.
European Commission sources say Mr Hogan would be the best candidate. However, Spain and Italy are continuing to advance rival nominees.
