Graduated in Economic Sciences ("Diplom-Ökonom") in 1972 and obtaining his doctorate in 1976, Dirk Ahner joined the European Commission in 1978. From 1978 to 1982, he acted as Administrator in the Directorate General for Agriculture, and from 1982 to 1987, member of the Group of Advisers in the Secretariat General of the European Commission responsible for agricultural, environmental and rural development questions. He became in 1987 Assistant to the Director-General of DG Agriculture before turning Head of Unit "Studies and overall approach" in the DG Agriculture from 1991 to 1997. From 1997 to 1998, he was Director a.i. in the Directorate "Economic analysis and prospective" in the DG Agriculture, and from 1998 to 2002, Director in the Directorate "Economic Analysis and Evaluation" in the same DG. From 2003 to 2005, he acted as Deputy Director-General responsible for Economic Analysis, Evaluation and Rural Development in the DG Agriculture and in 2006, as Deputy Director-General responsible for Rural Development in that DG. He was nominated in January 2007 Director-General in the DG Regional Policy.