Law graduate from the University La Sapienza of Rome in 1975 with the vote of 110/110. Catania enters the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry the 1st of August 1978, where he worked in the Directorate-General for General Affairs, and later, from 1987, in the Directorate-General of the economic protection of agricultural products, dealing with Eu agricultural policy. In 1988 he became Executive Manager of the Ministry, and the 16th April 1989 the Executive Manager of the Directorate-General of the economic protection of agricultural products. The functions carried out concern the Eu agricultural policy in the livestock sector and later in the quality policy sector. He participated in the Agriculture Council of Ministers of the European Union and other Eu meetings in the discussion concerning matters under his competence. During the Italian EU Presidency in 1990, he was chairman of the Dairy Working Group of the Eu. During the Italian Presidency in 1996, he was spokesperson for the Special Committee on Agriculture of the EU, a body entrusted with the preparation of the Councils of Ministers of Agriculture of the European Union, and that exercises a power of decision in matters pertaining to Council. Since 1996 to date, he regularly takes part in the meetings of the Council of Ministers of Agriculture of the European Union, and supports the Minister pro tempore in the discussions and negotiations concerning the EU Common agricultural policy, participating in numerous missions and international meetings of the Minister himself. From the first of September 1997 he served on the Permanent Mission of Italy at the European Union in Brusselles and was responsible for relations with the EU institutions and offices, as well as the negotiation of EU regulations concerning the agricultural sector. He regularly attends the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and the Special Committee on Agriculture of the European Union. He continued to assist the Minister pro tempore in the negotiations and in community and international meetings . With effect from the First December 1999 he was appointed head-delegation and spokesperson of the Italian Special Committee on Agriculture. During the Italian EU Presidency in 2003, he acted as Chairman of that Committee. In September 2005, he ended his service in the Permanent Mission of Italy at the European Union and was appointed Director General of Directorate General of Agriculture Policies of the Ministry for Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies. The said Board has the responsibility of the negotiation and implementation of the Common agricultural policy and international agreements. The 11th March 2008 he was appointed Director General of Directorate General of Eu policies and international market, under the new ministerial articulation of the Ministry for Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies, prepared by D.P.R. the 9th January 2008, n. 18. The Directorate General heads the expertise concerning the Common agricultural policy and the international agreements. In that same capacity he continued to act as a Italian spokesperson for the Special Committee on Agriculture and to participate at the Council of Ministers of Agriculture. The 12th November 2009 he was appointed Head of Department of the European and international policies of the Ministry for Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies, with expertise on the Common agricultural and fisheries policies.