Women in Power A-Z of Female Members of the European Parliament

Alfano, Sonia Andersdotter, Amelia Anderson, Martina Andreasen, Marta

Andrés Barea, Josefa Andrikiené, Laima Liucija Angelilli, Roberta

Antonescu, Elena Oana Auconie, Sophie

Auken, Margrete Ayala Sender, Inés

Ayuso, Pilar

Badía i Cutchet, Maria Balzani, Francesca Băsescu, Elena

Bastos, Regina Bauer, Edit Bearder, Catherine

Benarab-Attou, Malika Bélier, Sandrine Berès, Pervenche Berra, Nora

Bilbao Barandica, Izaskun Bizzotto, Mara

Blinkevičiūtė, Vilija

Borsellino, Rita

Bowles, Sharon Bozkurt, Emine Brantner, Franziska Katharina Brepoels, Frieda

Brzobohatá, Zuzana

Carvalho, Maria da Graça

Castex, Françoise Češková, Andrea

Childers, Nessa Cliveti, Minodora Collin-Langen, Birgit

Comi, Lara Corazza Bildt, Anna Maria Correa Zamora, Maria Auxiliadora Costello, Emer

Cornelissen, Marije Costa, Silvia Creţu, Corina

Cronberg, Tarja

Dăncilă, Vasilica Viorica Dati, Rachida

De Brún, Bairbre De Keyser, Véronique De Lange, Esther

Del Castillo Vera, Pilar Delli, Karima Delvaux, Anne De Sarnez, Marielle

De Veyrac, Christine Dodds, Diane Durant, Isabelle

Ernst, Cornelia

Essayah, Sari Estaràs Ferragut, Rosa Estrela, Edite

Evans, Jill

Fajon, Tanja Ferreira, Elisa Figueiredo, Ilda

Flašíková Beňová, Monika Flautre, Hélène Ford, Vicky Foster, Jacqueline

Fraga Estévez, Carmen

Gabriel, Mariya Gál, Kinga Gáll-Pelcz, Ildikó

Gallo, Marielle García-Hierro Caraballo, Dolores García Pérez, Iratxe

Gardiazábal Rubial, Eider Gardini, Elisabetta

Gebhardt, Evelyne Geringer de Oedenberg, Lidia Joanna

Giannakou, Marietta Girling, Julie Gomes, Ana

Göncz, Kinga Goulard, Sylvie Grässle, Ingeborg Greze, Catherine

Griesbeck, Nathalie Grossetête, Françoise Guillaume, Sylvie

Gurmai, Zita Gutiérrez-Cortines, Christina Győri, Enikő

Hall, Fiona Handzlik, Malgorzata Hankiss, Ágnes

Harkin, Marian Harms, Rebecca Hassi, Satu Haug, Jutta

Hedh, Anna Herczog, Edit Herranz García, Esther

Hibner, Jolanta Emilia Hirsch, Nadja Hohlmeier, Monika Honeyball, Mary

Hübner, Danuta Maria Hyusmenova, Filiz Hakaeva

Ibrisagic, Anna In ’t Veld, Sophia

Iotova, Iliana Malinova Irigoyen Pérez, María Ivanova, Iliana

Jaakonsaari, Liisa

Jäätteenmäki, Anneli Járóka, Lívia

Jazłowiecka, Danuta Jędrzejewska, Sidonia Elżbieta Jeggle, Elisabeth

Jensen, Anne E. Jiménez-Becerril Barrio, Teresa Joly, Eva Jordan, Romana

Kadenbach, Karin Kalniete, Sandra

Kammerevert, Petra Keller, Franziska

Kiil-Nielsen, Nicole Klass, Christa Kleva, Mojca

Koch-Mehrin, Silvana Kolarska-Bobińska, Lena Koppa, Maria Eleni Korhola, Eija-Riitta

Köstinger, Elisabeth Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Rodi Krehl, Constanze Angela

Lambert, Jean

Le Brun, Agnès Le Grip, Constance

Lepage, Corinne Le Pen, Marine Lichtenberger, Eva

Liotard, Kartika Tamara Lochbihler, Barbara Lope Fontagné, Veronica Lösing, Sabine

Lövin, Isabella Ludford, Baroness Sarah Łukacijewska, Elżbieta Katarzyna

Lulling, Astrid Lunacek, Ulrike

Macovei, Monica Luisa Mănescu, Ramona Nicole

Manner, Riikka Matias, Marisa Matera, Barbara Mathieu, Véronique

Mazej Kukovič, Zofija Mazzoni, Erminia McAvan, Linda

McCarthy, Arlene McClarkin, Emma McGuinness, Mairead McIntyre, Anthea

Meissner, Gesine Merkies, Judith

Miranda, Ana Morin-Chartier, Elisabeth Morkūnaitė, Radvilė

Morvai, Krisztina Muñiz de Urquiza, Maria Muscardini, Cristiana

Neveďalová, Katarína

Neynsky, Nadezhda Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Annemie

Nicolai, Norica Niebler, Angelika

Ojuland, Kristiina Oomen-Ruijten, Ria Ortiz Vilella, Eva Oviir, Siiri

Pack, Doris Paliadeli, Chrysoula Papadopoulou, Antigoni Parvanova, Antonyia

Patrão Neves, Maria do Céu Paulsen, Marit

Pietikäinen, Sirpa

Podimata, Anni Prendergast, Phil

Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Godelieve

Rapti, Sylvana

Regner, Evelyn Reimers, Britta Riera Madurell, Teresa Ries, Frédérique

Rivasi, Michèle Rodust, Ulrike Roithová, Zuzana

Romero López, Carmen Ronzulli, Licia Rosbach, Anna Roth-Behrendt, Dagmar

Rühle, Heide

Saïfi, Tokia Sanchez-Schmid, Marie-Thérèse Sârbu, Daciana Octavia

Sargentini, Judith Sartori, Amalia

Savisaar, Vilja

Schaake, Marietje Schaldemose, Christel Schnieber-Jastram, Birgit

Schroedter, Elisabeth Sehnalová, Olga Senyszyn, Joanna Serracchiani, Debora

Sinclaire, Nicole Sippel, Birgit Skrzydlewska, Joanna Katarzyna

Smolková, Monika Sommer, Renate Sousa, Alda Steinruck, Jutta

Stassen, Laurence J.A.J. Stihler, Catherine Striffler, Michèle

Swinburne, Kay

Taylor, Rebecca Thein, Alexandra Theocharous, Eleni

Thomas, Isabelle Thomsen, Britta Thun und Hohenstein, Róża Gräfin von Thyssen, Marianne

Ticâu, Silvia Adriana Toia, Patrizia

Trautmann, Catherine Trüpel, Helga Turunen, Emilie

Tzavela, Niki

Ulvskog, Marita

Vaidere, Inese

Vălean, Adina-Ioana Van Brempt, Kathleen Vergiat, Marie-Christine

Vergnaud, Bernadette Verheyen, Sabine Vlasto, Dominique

Weber, Renate

Weiler, Barbara Weisgerber, Anja Werthmann, Angelika Westlund, Åsa

Westphal, Kerstin Wikström, Cecilia

Willmott, Glenis

Wils, Sabine Wortmann-Kool, Corien

Yannakoudakis, Marina

Záborská, Anna Zanicchi, Iva Ždanoka, Tatjana

Zimmer, Gabriele Zuber, Inês Cristina

Sonia Alfano

Sonia Alfano, Italy, is a member of Italia dei Valori – Lista Di Pietro, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

Alfano became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chair of the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Alfano sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and the Delegation to the Euro- Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. Alfano has been the Chair of ‘Associazione Nazionale dei Familiari delle Vittime della Mafia’, an organisation which supports the families of victims of the mafia since it was established in 2008. Before joining Parliament, Alfano was an official in the Sicilian region of Italy, a union leader, and a coordinator of disaster relief efforts. She has been involved in several anti-Mafia campaigns, and from 2007 to 2009, was coordinator of the regional anti-Mafia movement ‘Ammazzateci tutti’. She studied for a degree in Law at the University of Palermo but interrupted it in 1993 to establish the truth about her father’s death at the hands of the Mafia. Alfano was born in 1971, in Messina, Italy.

Amelia Andersdotter

Amelia Andersdotter, Sweden, is a member of Piratpartiet (Pirate Party), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. Andersdotter joined the European Parliament in 2011 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA), the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community. Before joining Parliament, Andersdotter was the international coordinator of Ung Pirat (the youth wing of Piratpartiet) from 2007 to 2010, where she coordinated contacts with other groups in Sweden and with other pirate political movements around the world.

After graduating from Rosendalsgymnasiet in Uppsala, she attended university in Lund, where she studied mathematics, physics, Spanish and business law. She is currently the youngest member of the European Parliament. Andersdotter was born in 1987, in Uppsala, Sweden.

Martina Anderson

Martina Anderson, United Kingdom, is a member of Sinn Féin (SF – Irish Republican Party), part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

Anderson joined the European Parliament in 2012 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and as part of the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Delegation to the Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Anderson was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly as Sinn Féin member for Foyle from 2007 to 2012. During this time, she was also a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board from 2007 to 2011. From 2011 to 2012, she was a Junior Minister at the office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. From 2006 to 2007, she was the Sinn Féin Director of Unionist Engagement, and was the Sinn Féin All Ireland Coordinator from 2002 to 2006. She was a political researcher from 1999 to 2002. Anderson graduated with a first class Social Science Honours Degree in 1996.

Anderson was born in 1962, in Derry, Ireland.

Marta Andreasen

Marta Andreasen, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), part of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group (EFD) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT). As a substitute, Andreasen sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI).

Before joining Parliament, Andreasen was Treasurer of the United Kingdom Independence Party in 2007. She previously worked as Chief Accountant for the European Commission from 2002 to 2005 and as an accountant at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 1998 to 2000. Between 1982 and 1998, Andreasen worked as a finance and administration manager and as a regional finance director at various companies, mostly in Spain, including Rockwell Automation and Lotus Development. From 1977 to 1982 she worked as an auditor at Price Waterhouse. Andreasen has a qualification as a certified public accountant, which she gained in Buenos Aires in 1977.

Andreasen was born in 1954, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Josefa Andrés

Josefa Andrés Barea, Spain, is a member of Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries. As a substitute, Andrés Barea sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Andrés Barea worked as a Congresswoman, having been elected in 2007, 2003 and 1999. During this time she was a spokesperson in the Government and Local Government in the fifth and sixth legislatures. She joined the PSOE in 1983 and the General Union of Workers (UGT) in 1982. Andrés Barea became Deputy Inspector of the Regional Ministry of Health after training and working as a nurse. Andrés Barea was born in 1958, in Valencia , Spain.

Laima Liucija Andrikiené

Laima Liucija Andrikiené, Lithuania, is a member of Tòvynòs Sajunga (Homeland Union), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Belarus and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Andrikiené sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. She is the recipient of the Cross of Commander of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, a Medal of the Baltic Assembly, an Independence Medal of the Republic of Lithuania and the Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the French Republic. Before joining Parliament, Andrikiené was an associate professor at Vilnius University in 2004. She was the author and co-author of various publications on such issues as foreign and EU policy, economic and agricultural reform and human rights. She founded the Homeland People’s Party in 1999 and was a member of the Lithuanian Parliament and the Lithuanian Parliament’s Committee from 1992 to 2000. She was also co-founder of the Homeland Union and was a member of its board from 1993 to 1998. From 1988 to 1993, Andrikiené was a member of the Lithuanian Popular Movement (Sajudis). She was a member of the Council from 1992 to 1993, and a signatory of the Act of Restoration of the Independence of Lithuania in 1990. Until 1989, Andrikiené was a research fellow and senior research fellow at the Computing Centre of the Lithuanian Research Institute of Agricultural Economics. She was an engineer at the Institute from 1980 to 1983. Andrikiené completed a doctorate in Economics in 1986 and a doctorate in Social Sciences in 1993, having graduated with a degree in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Vilnius in 1980. Andrikiené was born in 1958, in Druskininkai, Lithuania.

Roberta Angelilli

Roberta Angelilli, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and is currently a Vice-President. She sits as a full member on the Parliament’s Bureau, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan. As a substitute, Angelilli sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. She has been the representative of the Mayor of Rome, responsible for the rights of the child, since 2008, and the European Parliament representative in the European Forum on the Rights of the Child since 2006. She is also the founder of the environmental association ‘Fare Verde’ and the international voluntary work organisation ‘Movimento Comunità’. Angelilli was President of Youth Action from 1996 to 1997, and Secretary-General of the Youth Front from 1993 to 1996.

Before joining Parliament, Angelilli undertook a master’s in European Law having gained a first degree in Political Science.

Angelilli was born in 1965, in Rome, Italy.

Elena Oana Antonescu

Elena Oana Antonescu, Romania, is a member of Partidul Democrat-Liberal (PDL – Democratic Liberal Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Before joining Parliament, Antonescu was an advisor in the office of the Prime Minister of Romania from 2005 to 2007. She completed her postgraduate studies in International Relations and Euro-Atlantic Studies at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute in 2007, having gained an MA in Public Policy and European Integration at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest, in 2006. Before that she worked as an associate lawyer at Stefan, Dutu & Associates from 2003 to 2005, and Vladoiu & Associates from 2002 to 2003. She specialised in Civil and Commercial Law at Nicolae Titulescu University, Bucharest, in 2004, after gaining a degree in Legal Sciences from Nicolae Titulescu University in 2002. She was a secretary at SC Maxinvest SA, an investment firm, between 2000 and 2001. Antonescu was born in 1979, in Târgovişte, Romania.

Sophie Auconie

Sophie Auconie, France, is a member of Nouveau Centre (NC – New Centre), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Auconie sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Auconie was a sales manager at a real estate agency from 2008 to 2009, and a town councillor in Tours from 2008. She was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, in charge of Economic Development, in the province of Touraine from 1993 to 2007, and was the director of an estate agency from 1988 to 1993. She is a graduate of the School of Business and Management in Tours. Auconie was born in 1963, in Dugny, France.

Margrete Auken

Margrete Auken, Denmark, is a member of Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF – Socialist People’s Party), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently a Vice-Chair on the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. She sits as a full member on the Committee on Petitions (PETI). As a substitute, Auken sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is also part of the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

Auken has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation since 2004 and a member of its General Assembly since 1982. Before joining Parliament, Auken was a member of the Folketing (the Danish National Parliament) from 1979 to 2004 and from 1973 to 1977. Between 1994 and 2004, she was a member of the Folketing’s Bureau and a member of the Government’s Road Safety Commission. From 1991 to 1995, Auken was a member of the Ministry of Justice’s Animal Experimentation Board, during which time she maintained her duties as a Priest. She was a member of the Nordic Council from 1982 to 1990 and a member of the Nordic Council’s Presidium from 1986 to 1989. She was Chairwoman of the Left Wing Socialist Group in the Nordic Council from 1984 to 1987. She became a Parish Priest at Frederiksberg Church in 1972, having graduated with a degree in Theology from Copenhagen University in 1971.

Auken was born in 1945, in Århus, Denmark.

Inés Ayala Sender

Inés Ayala Sender, Spain, is a member of the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE – Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1997 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgetary Control (BUDG)and the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Ayala Sender sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Ayala Sender was a PES policy advisor on various parliamentary committees and delegations, having worked for the European Commission on environment issues from 1995 to 1997. She was heavily involved in the negotiations for Agenda 2000, a new financial framework initiated in light of enlargement. She worked together with ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation), ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) and TUAC (Trade Union Advisory Committee) as a member of the UGT National Bureau (The General Union of Workers). She completed her postgraduate studies in Sustainable Development at the University of Brussels from 1995 to 1997. From 1994 to 1995, Ayala Sender studied Law at the University of Saragossa. She was a lecturer in the Department of Spanish Literature, University of Saragossa, from 1980 to 1990. She was also Regional Secretary of the PSOE Women’s Section in Aragon in 1984. Ayala Sender graduated in Spanish and English from the University of Saragossa in 1982.

Ayala Sender was born in 1957, in Saragossa, Spain.

Pilar Ayuso

Pilar Ayuso, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee. She sits as a full member on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and as part of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Ayuso sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America.

She is a member of the European Union of Women and Vice-Chairwoman of the Association of Women for Democracy. She also holds a Civil Order of Agricultural Merit for her work on agricultural issues. Before joining Parliament, Ayuso worked at the Ministry for Agriculture in Spain as Director-General for Food Policy from 1996 to 1999. She was a member of the Castile-La Mancha Regional Parliament for Ciudad Real from 1991 to 1996, and was Secretary of the Popular Party National Committee on Agricultural Studies from 1981 to 1984. In 1970, Ayuso worked towards her PhD in Agricultural Engineering and went on to study for a diploma in European Community Studies. After this, she worked as a researcher and director of Agrarian research projects at the National Agrarian Research Institute in Madrid. Ayuso started her career as an agricultural engineer in 1965. Ayuso was born in 1942, in Badajoz, Spain.

Maria Badía i Cutchet

Maria Badía i Cutchet, Spain, is a member of Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC-PSOE – Socialist Party of Catalonia), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Badía i Cutchet sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. Before joining Parliament, Badía i Cutchet became an elected member of the PSC Executive Bureau in 2000, with responsibility for the European and International Policy Secretariat. She was re-elected in 2004 and 2008. She has been Coordinator of the PSC First Secretary, Coordinator of the International Secretary of PSOE and Chief Secretary of the President of the Parliament of Catalunya, Joan Reventós. She coordinated the International Secretary of the PSOE, having previously collaborated with the First Secretary of the Socialist Party of Catalonia, Mr. Raimon Obiols, from 1985 to 1994. In 1975, she became a member of the Socialist Convergence of Catalonia, which in 1978 became the Socialist Party of Catalonia. Prior to this, Badía i Cutchet worked as an English teacher in primary schools in Sabadell, Barcelona. Badía i Cutchet studied English Philology at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). Badía i Cutchet was born in 1947, in Barcelona, Spain.

Francesca Balzani

Francesca Balzani, Italy, is a member of Partito Democratico (PD – Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member of the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. As a substitute, Balzani sits on Committee on International Trade (INTA), the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), and is part of the Delegation for relations with India. Before joining Parliament, Balzani was appointed to be an economic adviser by the Mayor of Genoa in 2007. She became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Genova in 2005, having worked as a lawyer advising local and non-profit organisations, specialising in tax law. She taught Tax Law at Bocconi University in Milan after completing her Law degree. Balzani was born in 1966, in Genoa, Italy.

Elena Băsescu

Elena Băsescu, Romania, is a member of Partidul Democrat-Liberal (PDL – Democratic Liberal Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Băsescu became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also a full member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), the Delegation to the EU- Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the Delegation for relations with Israel. She sits as a substitute on the Committtee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee .

Before joining Parliament, Băsescu was a professional model. She also worked as an economist at SC Luxten Lighting Company SA, Bucharest, from 2004 to 2009. During this time she was a trainee in the offices of Josif Matula MEP and Monica Joacob-Ridzi from 2008 to 2009. She was also Secretary-General of the Romanian Liberal-Democratic Youth Organisation from 2008 to 2009. Băsescu completed a master’s in Political Science at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest, in 2007, having gained a first degree in Economics and Financial Affairs from the Romanian-American University, Bucharest, in 2004. Băsescu was born in 1980, in Constanţa, Romania.

Regina Bastos

Regina Bastos, Portugal, is a member of Partido Social Democrata (PSD – Social Democratic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand. As a substitute, Bastos sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China.

She has been acting President of the City Council of Aveiro since 2005. Before joining Parliament, Bastos served as Secretary of State for Health in the office of Pedro Santana Lopes from 2004 to 2005. In 2005 she was elected to the Assembly of the Republic in the District of Aveiro, where she was on the Committee for Health and was Vice-President of her group. She was a member of the European Parliament for the first time between 2000 and 2004. Bastos was President of her local political party from 1994 to 1996, and an assistant to the Civil Governor of Aveiro from 1994 to 1995. Prior to this Bastos worked as a lawyer after achieving a degree in Law from the Catholic University of Porto.

Bastos was born in 1960, in Veiros-Estarreja, Portugal.

Edit Bauer

Edit Bauer, Slovakia, is a member of the Strana Mad’arskej Koalície – Magyar Koalíció Pártja (SMK-MKP – Hungarian Coalition for the Magyar Minority), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Bauer is part of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Bauer was an observer in the European Parliament in 2003. Before this, she was a member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, as well as Vice-Chairwoman of the Social Affairs and Housing Committee. She was also a member of the European Integration Committee and a member of the Slovak Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 2002 to 2004. In 2000, Bauer was Vice-President of the 88th session of the ILO (International Labour Organisation). From 1998 to 2002, she was Undersecretary of State for the Employment, Social and Family Affairs Ministry. She was a member of the Board Egyıttélés (Civil Union in Slovakia) from 1990 to 1998, and a member the National Council of the Slovak Republic from 1990 to 1998. Bauer was Chairwoman of the Scientific Subcommittee from 1990 to 1992. She also worked at the Employment and Social Research Institute from 1984 to 1990, and the Standard of Living Research Institute from 1969 to 1984. Bauer completed a PhD at the Slovak Academy of Sciences in 1980, having graduated in Economics from the University of Bratislava in 1968. Bauer was born in 1946, in Šamorín, Slovakia.

Catherine Bearder

Catherine Bearder, United Kingdom, is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Bearder sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA), the Committee on Transport and Tourism(TRAN) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. Bearder is currently Vice-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Party’s European Group and Vice-President of the Green Liberal Democrats. Before joining Parliament, Bearder was a Liberal Democrat councillor in Oxford County Council between 2003 and 2005, in Cherwell District Council between 1995 and 1999, and in Wendlebury Parish Council between 1986 and 1992. She has worked as a regional director in the South East of England for the ‘Britain in Europe’ campaign, and as a development officer for Witness Service of Oxfordshire Victim Support. In addition, she was previously a development officer at the National Federation of Women’s Institute (NFWI) and a manager at Bicester Citizens Advice Bureau. Bearder has also worked in the fundraising office of BBONT Wildlife Trust and as a field assistant to zoological field studies on hyenas and bush babies in South Africa.

Bearder was born in 1949, in Broxbourne, England, United Kingdom.

Malika Benarab-Attou

Malika Benarab-Attou, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. As a substitute, Benarab-Attou sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). Before joining Parliament, Benarab-Attou worked as an adult trainer and joined the Greens in 2003. She was active in the fight against racism, and contributed to the March of Beurs in 1983. Benarab-Attou holds a diploma from l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Sécurité Sociale and a DEA in Contemporary Maghreb Society from the University of Paris. Benarab-Attou was born in 1963, in Aïn-Berrian, Algeria.

Sandrine Bélier

Sandrine Bélier, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. As a substitute, Bélier sits on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO), the Committee on Petitions (PETI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula. She currently teaches Law and Administration of the Industrial Environment, the Right to the Protection of Nature, Participative Democracy and the Role of the Associations at the University of Strasbourg. She also teaches the Law of Risks and Liabilities at the University of the Superior Alsace in Mulhouse.

Before joining Parliament, Bélier was appointed by the Prime Minister to be a member of the National Commission for the Public Debate in 2008. After participating in the direction of the legal network of ‘France’s Natural Environment,’ she became Federal Director of the National Federation (FNE) in 2008. She was a member of the Administration Council of the SFDE (French Association for Environment Law) from 2004 to 2008. Between 2002 and 2007, she represented the International Council for Environment Law, as well as the European Environment Office. In 2001, she became Regional Director of Alsace Nature, where from 1998 to 2001, she was a legal commissioner in the framework of the ‘Youth Jobs’ programme. Between 1997 and 2002, Bélier was President of the ARPEJE (Association for the Support and the Promotion of Environment Lawyers), having worked as an assistant at the International Union for the Protection of Nature in Bonn, Germany, and at the Council of Europe in 1996. She has a master’s in both Environment Law and Human Rights. Bélier was born in 1973, in Longjumeau, France

Pervenche Berès

Pervenche Berès, France, is a member of Parti Socialiste (PS – French Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and is currently Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs, and as a substitute on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON).

Before joining Parliament, Berès was an advisor on International and European Affairs to Laurent Fabius, the Speaker of the National Assembly, from 1988 to 1992. She was an administrator in the French National Assembly from 1981 to 1988 and again from 1988 to 1992. Berès has published several books including Crise Financière: Pourquoi? Que Faire? in 2008 and Les cinq chantiers de l’euro, Revue française d’économie in 2006. Berès graduated from the Paris Institute of Political Studies in 1978.

Berès was born in 1957, in Paris, France.

Nora Berra

Nora Berra, France, is a member of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) party, part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and as a member of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees. Berra is currently Secretary of State for Health under the Minister of Labour, Employment and Health, Xavier Bertrand, in the French Government. Prior to this, she was Secretary of State for the Elderly from 2009 to 2010. Since 2008, Berra has also been a Lyon municipal councillor, having been a municipal councillor in Neuville-sur-Saône from 2001 to 2008. Between 1999 and 2009, she worked in various pharmaceutical laboratories around Lyon. Berra was born in 1963, in Lyon, France.

Izaskun Bilbao Barandica

Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Spain, is a member of Partido Nacionalista Vasco (PNV), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and is part of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Bilbao Barandica sits on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries. Before joining Parliament, Bilbao Barandica was President of the Basque Parliament from 2005 to 2009 and a member of the Basque National Party. Before this, she worked as a councillor in the Department of Culture and Interior in the Basque Government. She has a degree in Law from the University of Duesto and a master’s in Business Management. Bilbao Barandica was born in 1961, in Bermeo, Spain.

Mara Bizzotto

Mara Bizzotto, Italy, is a member of Lega Nord (LN – North League), part of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group (EFD) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chair of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand. She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Delegation Chairs and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). As a substitute, Bizzotto sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), the Committee on Petitions (PETI), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Canada. Before joining Parliament, Bizzotto was elected as Secretary of the Northern League division ‘Bassano del Grappa’ in 2008 and 2005. She was also elected to the Regional Council of Veneto in 2005 and 2000. During her final term in Veneto, she was Secretary of the Commission for Industry, Crafts, Commerce, Labour, Quarries and Mines. In her first term she served as President of the Commission of Auditors. She became an elected member of Rosà (Vicenza) Municipal Council in 1993 at the age of 21, becoming the youngest municipal councillor in the Veneto Region. She co-authored two business consultancy studies in Bassano del Grappa and Cartigliano. In the 1980s, Bizzotto assisted in managing a family bar, and was involved in the local organisation of supporters of football club AC Milan. She holds qualifications in Sales and Accounting. Bizzotto was born in 1972, in Bassano del Grappa, Italy.

Vilija Blinkevičiūtė

Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Lithuania, is a member of Lietuvos Socialdemokratų Partija (LSDP), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and is part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Blinkevičiūtė sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU- Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. She was awarded the Cross of Commander of the Order for Merit to Lithuania in 2004. Before joining the European Parliament, Blinkevičiūtė was a member of the Lithuanian Parliament, having been on the list of candidates of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania in 2008. At this time, she was an appointed member of the Committee on Social Affairs and Labour. In 2004, she was nominated for the Presidency of the Republic of Lithuania, having been elected as a member of the Lithuanian Parliament in a single-member constituency in the same year. In 2000, Blinkevičiūtė was appointed as a Minister in the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. Before this, between 1996 and 2000, she was Vice- Minister for Social Support in the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. She became Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour in 1994, having worked there since 1983. Blinkevičiūtė graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Vilnius in 1983. Blinkevičiūtė was born in 1960, in Linkuva Pakruojo Raj, Lithuania.

Rita Borsellino

Rita Borsellino, Italy, is a member of Partito Democratico (PD – Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. As a substitute, Borsellino sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU- Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Since 1998 she has been Chairperson of ‘Associazione Piera Cutino – guarire dalla talassemia’, a non-profit foundation that promotes medical research against thalassemia. Before joining Parliament, Borsellino worked as an anti-Mafia activist and Sicilian politician. Since 2005, she has been the honorary president of Libera, a civil organisation with the main goal of diffusing an anti-mafia culture among the Sicilian youth. Borsellino founded this organisation in 1995. She was also Leader of the Opposition in the Sicilian Regional Assembly and a member of the Committee on Rules, Verification of Credentials and Institutional Affairs. Borsellino has published many works against mafia activity and in favour of the emancipation of women, including Fare memoria. Per non dimenticare e per capire in 2003, La fatica della legalità in 1999, and Nonostante Donna – Storie civili al femminile in 1996. She graduated with a degree in Pharmaceuticals from the University of Palermo in 1967.

Borsellino was born in 1945, in Palermo, Italy.

Sharon Bowles

Sharon Bowles, United Kingdom, is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2005 and is currently Chairwoman of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs. As a substitute, Bowles sits on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. She has been President of Liberal International since 2005 and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents and of Anti-Slavery International. Before joining Parliament, Bowles worked at a professional practice called the Bowles Horton partnership until 2005, which she established in 1981, covering cutting edge technology for both multinational companies and individual clients. She was a member of the Federal Executive and Federal Finance Committee from 2000 to 2003, and was Liberal Democrat Party Secretary of the Chilterns Region from 1990 to 1995. She was co-founder of the Association of Liberal Democrat Engineers and Scientists. Bowles was a practising patent and trade mark attorney from 1981, having trained as a patent agent in 1978. Bowles became a researcher at Oxford University until 1977 after graduating with a degree in Chemical Physics with Mathematics in 1974. Bowles was born in 1953, in Oxford, England, United Kingdom.

Emine Bozkurt

Emine Bozkurt, the Netherlands, is a member of Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA – Social Democrats), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America. She sits as a full member on; the Conference of Delegation Chairs, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Bozkurt sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. She is a member of the governing body of the Institute for Public and Politics and has been a member of the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NDCO) since 2002. Before joining Parliament, Bozkurt was a member of the Review Committee on Public Broadcasting for the Rinnooy-Kan Committee from 2002 to 2003. She was a member of the core group of the PvdA multi-ethnic women’s network, a publisher and spokeswoman at the Rathenau Institute, and a senior advisor with Radar (an advice bureau on social issues) from 1997 to 2001. She qualified from the Association for Public Relations and Information (NGPR), having completed the Public Relations diploma at the Foundation for Advertising and Marketing Education in 1995. In 1993, Bozkurt worked for a Dutch Muslim Broadcasting Company where she became their spokeswoman and Head of Internal and External Relations. She was on the staff of the Consulate-General in Germany from 1992 to 1993. Bozkurt graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a master’s degree in European Studies in 1992, having completed a one-year degree in French Language and Literature in Amsterdam in 1987. Bozkurt was born in 1967, in Zaandam, the Netherlands.

Franziska Katharina Brantner

Franziska Katharina Brantner, Germany, is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). As a substitute, Brantner sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), and is also part of the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. She currently holds a teaching position in Political Science at the University of Mannheim, where she is studying for a PhD on the United Nation’s capacity for reforms.

Before joining Parliament, Brantner worked for the Bertelsmann Foundation consulting on EU foreign policy issues, in 2009. She was a member of the Peace and Security Commission of the German Greens, and part of a team of authors who wrote the 2009 election manifesto for the Greens. As a consultant for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), she helped to design a European action plan for UN Security Resolution 1325 in 2008. This was the first resolution ever passed by the Security Council specifically addressing the impact of war on women and women’s contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. Brantner co-authored a study for the European Council for Foreign Relations on EU Human Rights Policies at the UN from 2007 to 2008. Between 2006 and 2007, Brantner was a research fellow at the European Studies Centre at St Antony’s College in Oxford. She graduated in 2004 with a double diploma in Political Science from the School of International & Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York, and Sciences Po in Paris. Brantner was born in 1979, in Lörrach, Germany.

Frieda Brepoels

Frieda Brepoels, Belgium, is a member of Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA – New- Flemish Alliance), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She is also a Vice-President of the European Free Alliance Group. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Japan and the Delegation to the Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Brepoels sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also a substitute for the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries. She has been a member of the Board of VLEVA, the Flemish-European Liaison Agency, since 2007, and has been Party Secretary of N-VA since 2007. She has been a member of Hasselt Municipal Council since 2006 and a member of Limburg Provincial Executive and Council since 2001. Before joining Parliament, Brepoels was Vice-Chairwoman of N-VA from 2001 to 2007, and Group Chairwoman of the House of Representatives from 2000 to 2003. She was a member of the Federal Parliament from 1999 to 2003, having previously been a member from 1987 to 1991. Brepoels was a member of Volksunie Party Council and Executive from 1988 to 2001. She was a member for Limburg from 1991 to 1999, having been on the Provincial Council from 1985 to 1987. She was on the Flemish Council from 1987 to 1991. Brepoels was a member of Bilzen Municipal Council from 1982 to 1991, during which time she was Deputy Mayor of Bilzen from 1982 to 1988. Between 1978 and 1993, she was a self-employed architect, having completed her architecture training in 1978. Brepoels was born in 1955, in Mopertingen, Belgium.

Zuzana Brzobohatá

Zuzana Brzobohatá, Czech Republic, is a member of Česká Strana Sociálně Demokratická (ČSSD), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2008 and currently sits as a full member on the Commitee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Brzobohatá sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Japan.

Before joining Parliament, Brzobohatá was Deputy Mayor of Tišnova from 2006 to 2008, where she focused on social services, culture, education, health, and cooperation with non-profit organisations. She was Director of the Cabinet of Bohuslav Sobotka, the Minister of Finance, between 2002 and 2006, and was Regional Secretary of the ČSSD in the South Moravian Region between 2000 and 2002. From 1995 to 2000, Brzobohatá worked as a Computer Technology teacher and from 1990 to 1995 she worked in IT. Before this, from 1985 to 1990, she was a programme designer. Brzobohatá completed her postgraduate studies in Computer Networking after obtaining a degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Brno University of Technology. Brzobohatá was born in 1962, in Brno, Czech Republic.

Maria da Graça Carvalho

Maria da Graça Carvalho, Portugal, is a member of Partido Social Democrata (PSD – Social Democratic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Carvalho sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a member of the Academy of Sciences in Section 7 ª – Engineering and other Applied Sciences. Carvalho was awarded the Order of Public Instruction as part of International Women’s Day in 2002. She has been a university professor at the Higher Technical Institute since 1992. Before joining Parliament, Carvalho held the government positions of Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education from 2004 to 2005, and Minister of Science and Higher Education from 2002 to 2004. She has acted as the principal adviser for Science, Higher Education, Innovation, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development in the Bureau of European Policy Advisers of the European Commission. She also held the positions of National Vice-President of Engineers, Director-General of the International Relations Office of Science and Higher Education, and has been a member of the National Council of Education. Carvalho was editor of ’Clean Air – International Journal on Energy for a Clean Environment’ and a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Energy Research. She completed a PhD at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, in 1983, having graduated from the Higher Technical Institute in Lisbon in 1978. Carvalho was born in 1955, in Beja, Portugal.

Françoise Castex

Françoise Castex, France, is a member of Parti Socialiste (PS – Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently a Vice-Chair on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and a full member of the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Castex sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Before joining Parliament, Castex was Special Advisor for Educational Cooperation in the Foreign Ministry from 2002 to 2004. She was an advisor in the office of the Minister responsible for vocational education, focusing on European Affairs and International Cooperation, from 2000 to 2002. She was a member of Lavardens Municipal Council from 1996 to 2001 and was Chairwoman of the Gers League of Human Rights from 1990 to 1998. From 1996 to 1998, Castex was a member of the Central Committee of the League of Human Rights. She was an advisor in the office of the Chairman of the Gers Departmental Council from 1998 to 2000. She was also Adult and Youth Education Advisor at the Gers Departmental Youth and Sports Directorate from 1981 to 1998. In addition, Castex was Deputy Secretary-General of the Adult Education Association (SEP-FENUNSA) from 1989 to 1998. She has a postgraduate diploma in Education Science, and also completed a diploma of Advanced Studies in the Social Field (DHEPS) in 1990. Castex graduated with a master’s degree in Arts in 1976. Castex was born in 1956, in Agadir, Morocco.

Andrea Češková

Andrea Češková, Czech Republic, is a member of Občanská Demokratická Strana (ODS), part of the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament (ECR). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. As a substitute, Češková sits on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). She has been a Regional Assembly delegate since 2007 and Chairwoman of the Municipal Assembly of Prague’s Finance Committee since 2002. Before joining Parliament, Češková was a member ofthe Regional Council of Prague for the ODS from 1999 to 2005. She was also President of the Commission for European Integration. From 2002 onwards, she worked as a lawyer focusing on tax and financial advice, and she has also run her own business advising on tax and accounting. Between 1998 and 2002, Češková was a councillor in the Prague 5 metropolitan district and a member of the Prague Financial and Audit Committee. Češková also worked as a lawyer with Vladimir Stárek from 2001 and 2002, and Václav Kopáček from 1999 to 2000. She graduated with a degree in Law from University Karlovy in 1995. Češková was born in 1971, in Prague, Czech Republic.

Nessa Childers

Nessa Childers, Ireland, is a member of the Labour Party, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Childers became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. As a substitute, Childers sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT).

Before joining Parliament, Childers was a member of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council from 2004 to 2009. She became a mental health professional after graduating from university, running her own psychotherapy practice from 1986. Childers managed a Masters programme at Trinity College Dublin from 2001 to 2006. She graduated with a degree from Trinity College Dublin in 1986.

Childers was born in 1956, in Dublin, Ireland.

Minodora Cliveti

Minodora Cliveti, Romania, is a member of Partidul Social Democrat (PSD – Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Cliveti became a member of the European Parliament in 2012. She currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and as part of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegations to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the Delegation for relations with Canada. Before joining the European Parliament, Cliveti was a member of the Romanian Parliament from 2000 to 2008. During this time, she was also a member of the Romanian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In 2008, she was the First Vice-President of the Socialist Group in PACE. Prior to this, she was Vice-Chair of PACE’s Committee on Social Affairs in 2007 and Chair of PACE’s Committee on Equal Opportunities from 2004 to 2007. Cliveti has been a member of the PSD’s Commission on Integrity and Arbitration since 2008. She was a member of the PSD National Council from 2000 to 2008. During this time, she was also Vice-President of the PSD Women’s Organisation from 2003 to 2008. Cliveti has also been a local councillor since 2000. Before beginning her career in politics, she was a lawyer at the Bacău Bar since 1978. Cliveti received an Honours Degree from the Faculty of Law, A.I.Cuza University, Iasi, in 1978. After this, she completed professional training at Columbia University, New York, and at the University of Birmingham in 1991. She completed further professional training at the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg in 1994. Since 2007, she has been working towards her doctoral studies at the Institute for Judicial Research of the Romanian Academy.

Cliveti was born in 1955, in Adjud, Romania.

Birgit Collin-Langen

Birgit Collin-Langen, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschland (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2012 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and as part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Collin-Langen was Vice-President of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities from 2009 onwards. During this time, she was also Vice-President of the German Section of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). Prior to this, she was Mayor of Bingen am Rhein from 1996 to 2012. Since 2004, she has been the Regional chair of the Rhineland-Palatinate Women’s Union, having been District Vice-Chair of the Rhineland-Palatinate CDU since 1991. She has also served as Head of Department at the Rhineland-Palatinate Investment and Development Bank. From 1991 to 1993, she was Research assistant for the CDU regional parliamentary group. From 1988 to 1991, she was a desk officer in the Rhineland-Palatinate State Chancellery, before which she was a desk officer in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Transport from 1983 to 1988. She graduated with a degree in law in 1975 and completed her second state law examination in 1983. Collin-Langen was born in 1956, in Trier, Germany.

Lara Comi

Lara Comi, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently a member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Comi sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

Before joining Parliament, Comi worked as a brand manager at Giochi Preziosi, a toy retailer. She was an assistant to Italian politician, Mariastella Gelmini, and was Regional Coordinator of Forza Italia Young. She graduated in Economics and Business Markets from the Catholic University and specialised in Management of International Markets and New Technologies at Bocconi University. Comi was born in 1983, in Garbagnate Milanese, Italy.

Anna Maria Corazza Bildt

Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, Sweden, is a member of Moderata Samlingspartiet (Moderate Colation Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Corazza Bildt sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. Before joining Parliament, Corazza Bildt was a member of the Swedish Red Cross Central Board from 2003 to 2008, and a member of the Swedish Moderates Federal Executive in Stockholm from 2003. She ran the internet company Italiantradition.com, as well as ‘Hotel de Charme’ at Tabiancatello.com. Corazza Bildt worked for the European Commission in Bosnia after working in the Balkans for various United Nations (UN) organisations between 1992 and 1998. She had roles at the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome and Paris, and was a special assistant to the UN Secretary-General for Human Auditors in Geneva. She has lectured on peace operations and conflict management in both Rome and Paris. Corazza Bildt completed her academic training in Political Science at the University of Rome, in Conflict Management at the University of California, and in Strategic Studies at Columbia University in New York. Corazza Bildt was born in 1963, in Rome, Italy.

María Auxiliadora Correa Zamora

María Auxiliadora Correa Zamora, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She joined the European Parliament in 2012 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and as part of the Delegation to the Cariforum – EU Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Correa Zamora is a member of the Badajoz Federation of Rural Women. She is also a member of the municipal executive committee of the PP for Puebla de la Calzada (Badajoz), the provincial executive committee and the national executive committee of the PP.

Before joining the European Parliament, she was a Senator in the VII and VIII terms of the Spanish Senate from 2000 to 2004 and 2007 to 2008 respectively. During this time, she was also a member of the Puebla de la Calzada municipal council from 1995 to 2012.

Correa Zamora graduated with a degree in Law from the University of Extremadura in 1996. She completed a specialist diploma in the prevention of risks at work from Les Heures – Fundació Bosch i Gimpera, University of Barcelona, in 1998. Correa Zamora was born in 1972, in Badajoz, Spain.

Emer Costello

Emer Costello, Ireland, is a member of the Labour Party, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Costello became a member of the European Parliament in 2012. She currently chairs the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. She is a full member of the Conference of Delegation Chairs and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Before joining Parliament, Costello was a member of Dublin City Council from 2003 to 2012 for the North Inner City Area. From 2009 to 2010, she also served as Lord Mayor of Dublin. During this time, she established the Lord Mayor’s Commission on Employment to identify and make recommendations for actions in areas such as Unemployment; Business, Entrepreneurship & Finance; Education Skills and Training and Volunteering & the Social Economy. Until 2007, she worked for ten years as Programme Manager of the Education Service, Léargas, the Irish National Agency for European co-operation programmes in the areas of education, training and youth. Prior to joining Léargas, she worked as the Heritage Co-coordinator for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. She has also worked as a teacher with the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee in Marino and Finglas, Dublin. Costello graduated from University College Dublin with a degree in Education. Costello was born in 1962, in Louth, Ireland.

Marije Cornelissen

Marije Cornelissen, the Netherlands, is a member of GroenLinks (GreenLeft), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She is Vice-Chair of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament. Cornelissen became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and the Delegation to the EU- Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Cornelissen sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She has been a member of the Borough Council in the south of Amsterdam since 2006. Before joining Parliament, Cornelissen worked until 2009 as Director of North Holland’s Anti-Discrimination Bureau. She was a European Green Party delegate between 1999 and 2006, during which time she coordinated the dialogue between the East and West Greens of Europe. Between 2002 and 2003, Cornelissen was International Secretary of the GreenLeft where she participated in the Dutch demonstrations against the Iraq war. She was a member of the Green party’s board between 2001 and 2005, and was Chair of the Feminist Network of the GreenLeft between 1996 and 2001. From 1996 to 1997, she was an assistant to Nel van Dijk MEP, where she focused on women’s rights issues. Cornelissen was born in 1974, in Leeuwarderadeel, the Netherlands.

Silvia Costa

Silvia Costa, Italy, is a member of Partito Democratico (PD – Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Costa became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with Iraq. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). As a substitute, Costa sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Before joining Parliament, Costa worked as a councillor to Instruction, Study Right and Formation in the Lazio Region of Italy from 2005 and 2009, and was Councilwoman of the Lazio Region in 2005. She was President of the National Commission for Gender Equality from 1996 to 2005, and a member of the National Committee for Gender Equality in the Italian Government from 1994 to 2000. Costa was State secretary at the Ministry for universities - scientific research and technology from 1993 to 1994, and a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 1976 to 1985. She was also City Councilwoman of Rome from 1976 to 1985. Costa is a journalist, and has worked for several magazines and newspapers. She graduated with a degree in Modern Literature from the University of Rome in 1973. Costa was born in 1949, in Florence, Italy.

Corina Creţu

Corina Creţu, Romania, is a member of Partidul Social Democrat (PDSR – Social Democrat Party of Romania), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She is a Vice-Chair of the S&D Group.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Development (DEVE) and part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Creţu sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Israel.

Before joining Parliament, Creţu was an observer in the Parliament from 2005. In 2004 she was elected as a Senator in the Romanian Parliament, where she was a member of the Foreign Policy Committee. From 2000 to 2004, Creţu was a presidential advisor and Head of the Public Communications Department. She became a member of the Romanian Parliament in 2000. She was previously Vice- President of the PSD National Women’s Organisation from 1997 to 2000, and an expert in the Romanian Senate from 1996 to 2000. She has also worked as an analyst programmer and an economist in the IT Department of a manufacturing company. Creţu graduated in Planning and Cybernetics from the Academy for Economic Studies, Bucharest, in 1989.

Creţu was born in 1967, in Bucharest, Romania.

Tarja Cronberg

Tarja Cronberg, Finland, is a member of Vihreä liitto (Green Union), part of the Group of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chair of the Delegation for relations with Iran. She sits as a full member on the Conference of Delegation Chairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). As a substitute, Cronberg is part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Cronen graduated with a degree in engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology in 1968. She holds two doctorates in business studies and technology from Copenhagen Business School and the University of Lund respectively. Before joining Parliament, Cronberg was the Minister for Employment in Finland from 2007 to 2009, having been a member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2007. During her time as Minister, she served on various committees including the EU Employment and Social Affairs Council and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy.

Cronberg has long been at the centre of policy making in the areas of technology and social sciences. She was a member of the committee of the Norwegian Research Council dealing with IT and society from 1984 to 1992, a member of the Danish Parliament Technology Council from 1986 to 1991, and a member of the European Commission Information Society Technologies Advisory Group (ISTAG) from 1999 to 2002. From 1992 to 1997, she also chaired the EU COSTA4 Group considering the relationship between technology and society.

In recent years, she has focused on peace and security. She was the Provincial Director of the Regional Council of North Karelia from 1993 to 2001, whereupon she became Director of the Copenhagen Peace Research Institute from 2001 to 2003. Since joining the European Parliament, she has continued to specialise in defence and security matters.

Cronberg was born in 1943, in Helsinki, Finland.

Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă

Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă, Romania, is a member of Partidul Social Democrat (PSD – Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Dăncilă became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. As a substitute, Dăncilă sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. She has been President of the Videle branch of the PSD Women’s Organisation since 2004. Before joining Parliament, Dăncilă was a PSD county councillor from 2008 to 2009, and a member of the National Council of the PSD from 2005 to 2009. At the time she was also a member of the Executive Bureau of the National Women’s Organisation of the PSD. She became a local PSD councillor in 2004, during which time she completed a master’s degree in ‘The European Public Space’ at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies in Bucharest, in 2006. Dăncilă worked as an engineer at Petrom SA, Videle branch, between 1997 and 2004, and was an employee in their crude oil production service for one year between 1997 and 1998. At this time she also worked as a teacher at Videle Industrial Secondary School, until 1998. Dăncilă graduated from the Faculty of Well Drilling and Petroleum Extraction in Ploieşti in 1988.

Dăncilă was born in 1963, in Roşiori de Vede, Romania.

Rachida Dati

Rachida Dati, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Dati sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. She has been Mayor of the 7th Arrondissement of Paris since 2008. Before joining Parliament, Dati was a French cabinet minister from 2007 to 2009. She also worked as a technical advisor at the legal management division of the Ministry of Education from 1995 to 2007. Dati was a spokesperson for Nicholas Sarkozy during the French Presidential election in 2007, having worked as an adviser for Mr. Sarkozy on anti-delinquency projects from 2002. Dati worked as a judge for collective procedures at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Peronne, as an assistant to the attorney general of the Evry tribunal, and as a legal auditor at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Bobigny. She also worked as an accountant for Elf Aquitaine, at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and at Suez as an auditing supervisor. Dati undertook studies in Economics and Business Management after working for a short time as a paramedical assistant. Dati was born in 1965, in Saint-Remy, France.

Bairbre de Brún

Bairbre de Brún, United Kingdom, is a member of Sinn Féin (SF – Irish Republican Party), part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Petitions. She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, de Brún sits on the Committee on Regional Development, and is part of the Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Delegation to the Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

She has been a Sinn Féin negotiator in the Irish peace process since 1997. Before joining Parliament, de Brún was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 to 2004, during which time she was Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety from 1999 to 2002. She headed both the International Department and the Cultural Department in 1994, after becoming a member of Sinn Féin in 1982. At this time she was responsible for women’s issues. From 1979 to 1997, de Brún was a teacher and a community worker. She graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Queen’s University Belfast in 1980 and a Higher Diploma in Education from University College Dublin in 1976. Prior to this she gained a BA Hons in Modern Languages in 1974. de Brún was born in 1954, in Dublin, Ireland.

Véronique De Keyser

Véronique De Keyser, Belgium, is a member of Parti Socialiste Belgium (PS – Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament in which she is a Vice-Chair.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2001 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Development (DEVE)and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, De Keyser sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. She is President of the European Work and Organisational Psychology Association and has been a member of the Employment Board since 1997. She has also been an administrator at the King Badouin Foundation since 1995.

Before joining Parliament, De Keyser authored the books Qui a peur de l’erreur humaine? published in 2002, and Error Prevention and Well-Being at Work in Western Europe and Russia, published in 2001. She was Dean of the Psychology and Education Science Faculty at the University of Liège from 1990 to 1998, during which time she was a visiting lecturer at the Universities of Oporto, Moscow and Toulouse-Le Mirail. From 1990 to 1994, De Keyser was President of the Belgian Psychology Society. She became a senior lecturer in 1988 having worked as a junior lecturer in 1984. From 1968 to 1984, De Keyser was a researcher in Psychology at the University of Brussels and at the Brussels Industrial Study and Research Centre. She completed her doctorate in Work Psychology in 1974, having graduated from the Free University of Brussels with a degree in Psychology in 1968.

De Keyser was born in 1945, in Brussels, Belgium.

Esther de Lange

Esther de Lange, the Netherlands, is a member of Christen Democratisch Appèl (CDA – Christian Democratic Appeal), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with Iraq. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). As a substitute, de Lange sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), and is part of the Delegation for relations with India. She is currently Chair of the Professional Orientation Committee of the Institute of Higher European Studies in Maastricht. Before joining Parliament, de Lange was a member of the Christian Democrat Executive from 2002 to 2007, as well as a member of the CDAV Foreign Affairs Committee. From 2001 to 2004, she chaired the CDJA Agriculture working group. In 1999, de Lange was EU Affairs Officer for two German trade associations in the fruit juice and alcohol industries in Brussels. She worked as a policy advisor for the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, and also worked as a project manager for the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA). De Lange gained a master’s in International Relations in Brussels in 2001, having graduated in European Studies from the Higher Institute of European Studies at the Hague in 1998. Prior to this, she worked as a file manager at Royal Dutch Touring Club Emergency Center in Lyon from 1996 to 1998. De Lange was born in 1975, in Spaubeek, the Netherlands.

Pilar del Castillo Vera

Pilar del Castillo Vera, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and as part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, del Castillo Vera sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, del Castillo Vera was Minister for Education, Culture and Sport for the Spanish Government from 2000 to 2004. She was President of Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (Sociological Research Centre) from 1996 to 2000, and was Editor of Nueva Revista de Política, Cultura y Arte (New Magazine of Politics, Culture and Art) from 1995 to 1996. She is the author of a number of publications on such topics as comparative electoral behaviour, political parties and political and public behaviour. From 1994, del Castillo Vera was Professor of Political Science at Universidad Española de Educación a Distancia and Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at the same university in 1986. Del Castillo Vera completed a doctorate in Law at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1983 and a master’s in Political Science in 1982. Prior to this she gained a Fellow Fulbright Scholarship at Ohio State University, having completed a degree in Law at Universidad de Complutense de Madrid in 1974. Del Castillo Vera was born in 1952, in Nador, Morocco.

Karima Delli

Karima Delli, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, Delli sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). Before joining Parliament, Delli was Secretary of the Federal Young Greens and a group leader in Paris from 2007 to 2008. She stood as a candidate in the 2007 elections in the tenth district of Pas-de-Calais, having joined the Green Party in 2005. Delli previously worked as a parliamentary assistant to Green Senator Marie-Christine Blandin having gained a master’s degree in Political Science at Lille IEP (Sciences Po).

Delli was born in 1979, in Roubaix, France.

Anne Delvaux

Anne Delvaux, Belgium, is a member of Centre Démocrate Humaniste (CDH – Democratic Humanist Centre), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Pan- African Parliament and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Delvaux sits on the Committee for Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa.

Before joining Parliament, Delvaux was a senator in Belgium from 2007. She also worked as a journalist, and until 2007, presented the television news of the RTBF on Fridays and at the weekend. Delvaux worked for a time as a lecturer, after gaining a degree in Communications from the Catholic University of Leuven. Delvaux was born in 1970, in Liège, Belgium.

Marielle De Sarnez

Marielle De Sarnez, France, is a member of the Union pour la Democratie Francaise (UDF – Union for French Democracy), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on International Trade (INTA). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, De Sarnez sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. She has been Chairwoman of the UDF delegation in the European Parliament since 2004, and a member of Paris Council since 2001. Before joining Parliament, De Sarnez was National Secretary of the UDF Group from 2003 to 2005, and Secretary-General of the UDF Group in the National Assembly from 1997 to 1998. She was an advisor to Francois Bayrou, Minister for Education, Higher Education and Research, from 1993 to 1997. De Sarnez was Secretary-General of the Opposition General Assembly from 1989 to 1993, and from 1986 to 1988, she was a special advisor in the office of Jean-Claude Gaudin, Chairman of the UDF Group in the National Assembly. De Sarnez was born in 1951, in Paris, France.

Christine De Veyrac

Christine De Veyrac, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. As a substitute, De Veyrac sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Israel. She has been Departmental President of the UMP in Haute-Garonne since 2008.

Before joining Parliament, De Veyrac was National Secretary of the UMP from 2003 to 2007. She was also Deputy Mayor of Toulouse with responsibility for International and European Relations in 2001. De Veyrac has worked as a member of the Bureau of the Greater Toulouse Urban Community Council and as Secretary for Town Planning, Aviation and Space Development. De Veyrac graduated with a master’s degree in International Public Law from Toulouse in 1983.

De Veyrac was born in 1959, in Toulouse, France.

Diane Dodds

Diane Dodds, United Kingdom, is a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and is a Non-Attached member of the European Parliament (NI – Non- Inscrits). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Israel. As a substitute, Dodds sits on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH).

Dodds currently chairs the Policy and Resources Committee on Belfast City Council. Before joining Parliament, Dodds was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly representing Belfast West from 2003 to 2007. In 2005, she was elected to Belfast City Council, where she had the role of Chief Whip of the DUP group. Dodds taught History and English after studying at Queen’s University Belfast and qualifying as a teacher. Dodds was born in 1958, in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

Isabelle Durant

Isabelle Durant, Belgium, is a member of Ecologistes Confédérés pour l’Organisation de Luttes Originales (Ecolo), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently a Vice-President of the European Parliament. She sits as a full member on the Parliament’s Bureau and the Committee on Budgets (BUDG), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iran, the Delegation for relations with Isreal and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She is a substitute member of the Committee on Transport (TRAN), the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and of the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. She has been Co-President of Ecolo since 2004 and a member of the Belgian Senate since 2003. Before joining Parliament, Durant was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility and Transport in the Belgian federal government of Guy Verhofstadt, from 1999 to 2003. She was Federal Secretary and a spokesperson for Ecolo from 1994 to 1999. Durant holds a degree in Economic and Social Policy from UCL-FOPES. Durant was born in 1954, in Brussels, Belgium.

Cornelia Ernst

Cornelia Ernst, Germany, is a member of Die Linke (The Left), part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with Iran. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and as part of the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan. As a substitute, Ernst sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Before joining Parliament, Ernst was National President of The Left in Saxony from 2007 to 2009. Between 1995 and 2001, she was Deputy Chairperson of Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus (PDS – Party of Democratic Socialism), during which time she became a member of the Parliament of Saxony in 1998. From 1991 to 1998, she was a parliamentary advisor in the Parliament of Saxony. Until 1991, Ernst worked at a teacher’s education institute in Lehrerbildnerin, having graduated in 1983 from the University of Leipzig. Ernst was born in 1956, in Bad Saarow, Germany.

Sari Essayah

Sari Essayah, Finland, is a member of Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit (KD), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Israel and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Essayah sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union.

She has been a member of her municipal council since 2009. She is also a member of Amnesty International, the Finnish Association of Gideon and the Finnish Red Cross. Before joining Parliament, Essayah was Party Secretary of the Christian Democrats in Finland from 2007 to 2009, having been a member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2007. Between 2000 and 2007, she was an accounting manager for TeliaSonera Finland. Essayah was Parliamentary Group Chair of the Christian Democrats from 2004 to 2007, and has also sat on the board or assembly of various companies, associations and committees. Essayah worked as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Kuopio from 1997 to 2000, and before that was a lecturer at North-Savo Polytechnic, Iisalmi. Essayah gained a master’s in Economic Sciences (majoring in Accounting) from Vassa University in 1995. She is a former race walker who won the European Championships in 1994 and the World Championships in 1993.

Essayah was born in 1967, in Haukivuori, Finland.

Rosa Estaràs Ferragut

Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Before joining Parliament, Estaràs Ferragut was Vice-President for International Relations and an advisor in the Balearic Government from 2003 to 2007. She was a member of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands from 2003 to 2009, having also been a member from 1995 to 1999. Between 1991 and 2005, she was Deputy Mayor for Planning and Culture in the town of Valldemossa. Prior to this, she was President of the Popular Party in the Balearic Islands and a member of the Executive National Committee of the Popular Party. She graduated with a degree in Law from the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) in 1988. Estaràs Ferragut was born in 1965, in Palma, Majorca, Spain.

Edite Estrela

Edite Estrela, Portugal, is a member of Partido Socialista (Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Estrela became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Estrela sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. She is also the holder of a number of Portuguese and foreign honours.

Before joining Parliament, Estrela was Chairwoman of Sintra Municipal Partido Socialista from 1998 to 2004. She was a member of the Assembly of the Republic from 1988 to 1994 and again from 2002 to 2004. She was the first elected woman to Vice-Chair the Socialist Parliamentary Group. She worked as Secretary of Partido Socialista from 1988 to 2002, and was the Mayoress of Sintra from 2000 to 2002. Estrela was Vice-Chairwoman of the Metropolitan Lisbon Council from 1995, and Vice-President of the Portuguese Writer’s Union from 1984 to 1994. Between 1973 and 1996, Estrela was a teacher of Portuguese literature. She has been an author and presenter for television and radio programmes about the Portuguese language and has published several works on the subject. From 1981, Estrela was involved with many Partido Socialista bodies, including the Lisbon Federative Policy Committee, the National Committee and the National Policy Committee. Estrela completed a master’s degree in Media Studies in 1987, having graduated with a degree in Classical Philology in 1973. Estrela was born in 1949, in Belver, Portugal.

Jill Evans

Jill Evans, United Kingdom, is a member of Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). As a substitute, Evans sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Delegation for relations with Iraq.

She has been Vice President of Plaid Cymru since 2003. Before joining Parliament, Evans was a councillor from 1992 to 1999 in the former Rhondda Borough and Mid Glamorgan County Councils, as well as in Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council. She was Wales Regional Organiser for CHILD (the National Infertility Support Network) from 1997 to 1999, after working at the National Federation of Women’s Institutes in Wales from 1989 to 1996. Evans was Chair of Plaid Cymru from 1994 to 1996, having been elected as Plaid Cymru’s Alternate Member in the Committee of the Regions in 1993. She was also the party’s representative in the European Free Alliance, working with Plaid Cymru’s sister parties throughout the continent. Before this, she worked as a research assistant at the former Polytechnic of Wales where she gained her MPhil degree in 1986. Evans went to University in Aberystwyth, where she achieved a BA (Hons) in Welsh in 1980. Evans was born in 1959, in Rhondda, Wales, United Kingdom.

Tanja Fajon

Tanja Fajon, Slovenia, is a member of Socialni Demokrati (SD), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). As a substitute, Fajon sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

Before joining Parliament, Fajon worked as a correspondent for RTV Slovenia in Brussels, reporting on the EU, NATO, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, from 2002. As a journalist, she also worked at Radio Glas in Ljubljana for the daily newspaper The Republic, for a daily news programme on RTV Slovenia and for a foreign policy programme on Radio Slovenia. Fajon completed a master’s in International Politics at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Paris-Sud University, in 2005. She also graduated in Journalism from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, and in Marketing in Non-Profit Organisations. Fajon was born in 1971, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Elisa Ferreira

Elisa Ferreira, Portugal, is a member of Partido Socialista (Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Ferreira became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and as part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Ferreira sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and is part of the Delegation for relations with India and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. She has been a non-permanent member of the Catholic University, Portugal, since 1986 and a lecturer in the Faculty of Economics, University of Oporto, since 1977.

Before joining Parliament, Ferreira was a member of the Assembly of the Republic from 2002 to 2004, and was Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Party of Partido Socialista from 2002 to 2003. She was a member of the Administrative Board of the National Statistical Institute from 1989 to 1992, and was Vice- Chairwoman of the Northern Region Coordination Commission from 1990 to 1992. In 1990, Ferreira was made Chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the Integrated Development Operation of Vale do Ave, and was Coordinator of Preparatory Studies for the Integrated Development Operation for the Vale do Ave in 1989. She was also Assistant Director for the Northern Region Water Resources Management Project from 1986 to 1987. She completed a PhD in 1985 and a master’s in 1981, both at Reading University, UK, having graduated in Economics from the University of Oporto, Portugal, in 1977.

Ferreira was born in 1955, in Porto, Portugal.

Monika Flašíková Beňová

Monika Flašíková Beňová, Slovakia, is a member of SMER-Sociálna Demokracia, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Israel. As a substitute, Flašíková Beňová sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). Before joining Parliament, Flašíková Beňová co-founded the SMER Party and until 2004 was Vice-President of the party. She was elected as a member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic in 2002. Prior to her involvement in politics, she worked as a general manager at WA Ireland from 1998 to 1999, and was a director at Planet Sport from 1996 to 1997. From 1993 to 1995, she worked as a manager at Martin Mangles, and from 1992 to 1993, she worked at the organisation, Seil. Flašíková Beňová was an assistant at Eurohaus between 1990 and 1992. She graduated with a degree from the Faculty of Political Relations at the University of Banská Bystrica in 2000.

Flašíková Beňová was born in 1968, in Bratislava , Slovakia.

Hélène Flautre

Hélène Flautre, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Delegation Chairs, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and is also part of the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Flautre sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union. She has been a member of Arras Municipal Council since 2002, having previously been on the Council from 1989 to 1992. Before joining Parliament, Flautre was special advisor in the office of the Chairman of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council from 1992 to 1998, where she was responsible for culture issues. She was a Mathematics teacher from 1981 to 1991, and has also worked as a civil engineer. Flautre was born in 1958, in Bapaume, France.

Vicky Ford

Vicky Ford, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Conservative and Unionist Party, part of the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRA). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Ford sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with India. Before joining Parliament, Ford worked as a local councillor and held the finance and resources portfolio on South Cambridgeshire District Council. She worked as an investment banker with JP Morgan from 1989 to 2003. Ford holds a degree in Maths and Economics from the University of Cambridge. Ford was born in 1967, in Omagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

Jacqueline Foster

Jacqueline Foster, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Conservative and Unionist Party, part of the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament (ECR)

Foster became a member of the European Parliament for the second time in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union and the Delegation to the Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Foster sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States.

Before joining Parliament, Foster was the managing director of Foster Jay Ltd, an aviation consultancy firm. She was also Vice-Chairperson of Twickenham Conservative Association. She became an MEP for the first time in 1999, during which time she sat on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities, the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Temporary Committee on Improving Safety at Sea. In 1989, she was one of the founding members of Cabin Crew ’89, an independent trade union which broke away from the TGWU, and which she served as Deputy General Secretary. Here she specialised in UK employment law and negotiated employment contracts and industrial agreements. Prior to this, in 1985, she was a cabin crew member for British Airways. From 1981 onwards, Foster was an area manager in Austria for Horizon Tours, a holiday company. She was a member of the Transport and General Workers’ Union and from 1976 to 1979 served as Trade Union Representative for Cabin Crew. Prior to working for British Airways cabin services, Foster worked for British European Airways. Foster was born in 1947, in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.

Carmen Fraga Estévez

Carmen Fraga Estévez, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH).

Before joining Parliament, Fraga Estévez was Secretary-General of Maritime Fisheries from 2002 to 2004, having been a member of the European Parliament for the first time from 1994 to 2002. She was an EPP Group official from 1986 to 1994 and an official in the Ministry of Public Works from 1970. Fraga Estévez studied Law from 1980 to 1985, having graduated with a Humanities degree specialising in Geography in 1970. Fraga Estévez was born in 1948, in Léon, Spain.

Mariya Gabriel

Mariya Gabriel, Bulgaria, is a member of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the EPP’s Bureau.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), the Committee on Petitions (PETI) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Gabriel sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. In 2011, Gabriel completed her PhD on “Prospects for European integration and the impact on party political systems in Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic” at the Institute of Political Studies, Bordeaux, France and Institute of Political Science, Brussels Free University, Belgium. She is an expert on political parties and government, and European Law, with experience in EU structural fund projects.

Gabriel was born in 1979, in Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria.

Kinga Gál

Kinga Gál, Hungary, is a member of Fidesz-Magyar Polgári Szövetség-Keresztény Demokrata Néppárt (Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She also sits as a full member on the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. As a substitute, Gál sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation for relations with India and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

She is currently studying part-time for her PhD at the Christian Albrecht University in Kiel.

Before joining Parliament, Gál was Chief Advisor to the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences from 2003 to 2004. She was Vice-Chairwoman of Hungarian Minorities Abroad from 2001 to 2002, and was an International Jurist at the European Centre for Minority Issues in Flensburg, Germany, from 1997 to 2000. In 1996, Gál joined the Teleki Foundation as a researcher, having worked as an analyst for the Hungarian Expatriates Office in 1995. She was an advisor to the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania from 1991 to 1994. Gál completed her studies in the Political Science and Law Department of Eötvös Loránd University in 1994, having gained a diploma in International Human Rights from the Institute for Comparative Human Rights, Strasbourg, in 1993. Gál was born in 1970, in Kolozsvár, Romania.

Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz

Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz, Hungary, is a member of Fidesz-Magyar Polgári Szövetség- Keresztény Demokrata Néppárt (Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Gáll-Pelcz sits on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and is part of the delegation for relations with Japan. Gáll-Pelcz graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1985, thereafter gaining qualifications as a chartered accountant and tax advisor. She has served various positions in the Hungarian Civic Party and since 2005 has served as Vice- President of FIDESZ and Chair of FIDESZ women’s section. From 2002 to 2006, she was the Deputy leader of the FIDESZ group in Parliament. Since 2006 she has also served as a member on the European Affairs Committee and as Chair of the ad hoc supervisory committee on implementation of the New Hungarian National Development Plan (2008 to 2010). She was the Vice-President of the Hungarian Parliament from 2009 to 2010. Gáll-Pelcz was awarded with the Young Researcher prize of the Miskolc Regional Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2000, and was recognized for her activities promoting women in 2008.

Gáll-Pelcz was born in 1962, in Szikszó, Hungary.

Marielle Gallo

Marielle Gallo, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement ), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Gallo sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), and is part of the Delegation for relations with India.

Before joining Parliament, Gallo was the spokesperson for the Modern Left Party following its formation in 2007.

Gallo was born in 1949, in Lons-le-Saunier, France.

Iratxe García Pérez

Iratxe García Pérez, Spain, is a member of Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE – Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, García Pérez sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Israel and to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, García Pérez was a member of the Congress of Deputies and was Deputy Secretary-General of the PSOE in Valladolid from 2000 to 2004. She was Secretary-General of the Young Socialists of Castile and Leon from 1999 to 2002. She was a member of Laguna de Duero Municipal Council and of the Valladolid Provincial Parliament from 1995 to 2000. She has also worked with CERMI, the Spanish Committee Representing the Disabled, helping to create jobs and provide education and other services to disabled citizens. García Pérez graduated with a degree in Social Work in 1995. García Pérez was born in 1974, in Baracaldo, Spain.

Eider Gardiazábal Rubial

Eider Gardiazábal Rubial, Spain, is a member of Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE), part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, Gardiazábal Rubial sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia.

She has been a councillor in the City of Bilbao since 2004, with responsibility for Budget, Economy and Finance. She has also been Secretary of the Executive Equality PSE-EE office since 2002. Before joining Parliament, Gardiazábal Rubial was a financial manager and purchasing manager for a private enterprise. From 2002 to 2005, she was Secretary of Education, Administration and Finance in the National Executive JSE-EgazRamón Rubial. Between 1999 and 2002, Gardiazábal Rubial was Secretary-General of the Socialist Youth of Bilbao. She studied at high school in France and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics, with specialisation in Management Accounting. Gardiazábal Rubial was born in 1975, in Bilbao, Spain.

Elisabetta Gardini

Elisabetta Gardini, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2008 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, Gardini sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. Before joining Parliament, Gardini was a member of the Italian Parliament from 2006 to 2008 after being elected in the Veneto constituency. During her time there she was a member of the Committee on Elections and Secretary of the XII Commission, Social Affairs. Gardini was elected as a councillor in Veneto in the 2005 regional elections, and she was appointed as spokesperson for Forza Italy in 2004. Before embarking on a political career, Gardini worked as a presenter of various television shows on the Rai network. She appeared in many theatre productions and television shows in the 1990s and 1980s after making her television debut as an actress in 1983. Gardini was born in 1956, in Padova, Italy.

Evelyne Gebhardt

Evelyne Gebhardt, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of Germany), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, Gebhardt sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. Gebhardt is the recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit with ribbon, the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. She is a member of Akademie fűr Ethik in der Medizin (Academy of Medical Ethics) and has been a board member of the Association on Young People’s Art Colleges since 1999. She has been a member of the Executive of the European Women’s Organisation ‘Grain de Sel’ in Paris since 1993, and is a member of the Marie Schlei Association, an association providing information on the role of women in developing countries. She is also a member of Gegen Vergessen – Fűr Demokratie, an association dedicated to the future of democracy. Before joining Parliament, Gebhardt worked as an expert in South America and Africa for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. She was a freelance translator from 1977. Gebhardt studied for a degree in Literature at the Sorbonne, Paris, in 1975. Gebhardt was born in Montreuil-sous-Bois, France, in 1954.

Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg

Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg, Poland, is a member of Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej – Unia Pracy (SLD-UP – Democratic Left Alliance – Labor Union), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. Geringer de Oedenberg became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is a Quaestor of the European Parliament. She sits as a full member on the Parliament’s Bureau, the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. As a substitute, Geringer de Oedenberg sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Geringer de Oedenberg was Chairwoman of the Polish Television SA’s Programme Council in Wroclaw from 2004 to 2006. She has also been the recipient of a number of awards and honours, including the Golden Honorary Medal of the Polish Association of Deafs in 2008, and the Wrocław Music Award.

Before joining Parliament, Geringer de Oedenberg was General Director of the Wroclaw Philharmonic from 2001 to 2005. She was General Director of the International Festival of Culture, ‘Wratislavia Cantans’ from 1996 to 2005, and Programme Director for Polish Television SA’s Wroclaw branch from 2001 to 2004. From 2000 to 2003, Geringer de Oedenberg was Chairwoman of the European Festivals’ Association Marketing Committee. She was Commissioner for Music at the Europalia Polska Festival from 2000 to 2002. She was also part of the editorial staff at a Polish television station from 1989 to 2001. In 1999, Geringer de Oedenberg attended the French Institute of Administration in Warsaw. She was a journalist on the weekly ‘Wiadomości Kulturalne’ from 1995 to 1997, having studied Marketing Studies at the World Economy Institute, Warsaw School of Economics, in 1997.

Geringer de Oedenberg was born in 1957, in Wroclaw, Poland.

Marietta Giannakou

Marietta Giannakou, Greece, is a member of Nea Dimokratia (ND – New Democracy), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Giannakou sits on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. Before joining Parliament, Giannakou was a member of the Greek Parliament between 1990 and 2007. During this time, she held several positions, including Minister for National Education and Religious Affairs from 2004 to 2007, and Minister of Health, Welfare and Social Security from 1990 to 1991. She also acted as Chairperson of the Greek Friendship Group between the Parliaments of Greece and Poland, and was a member of the Greek Friendship Group between the Parliaments of Greece and the United States, and that of Greece and Morocco. Giannakou was a member of the European Parliament between 1999 and 2000, and between 1984 and 1990. She has published numerous scientific articles and reports pertaining to European perspectives towards drug problems, organised crime and women in contemporary societies, as well as social policies. Giannakou became a doctor and neuro-psychologist after studying at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Athens. Giannakou was born in 1951, in Lakonias, Greece.

Julie Girling

Julie Girling, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Conservative and Unionist Party, part of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament (ECR).

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits a as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As a substitute, Girling sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the Korean peninsula.

Before joining Parliament, Girling sat as a member on Gloucestershire County Council between 2000 and 2009. During this time she was Lead Cabinet Member for the Environment from 2006 to 2009 and a member of South West Regional Assembly from 2003 to 2006. She was Leader of Cotswold District Council from 2003, having become a councillor in 1999. Prior to this, Girling worked on the shop floor in a supervisory role for Ford Motor Company until 1982, before moving into retail management at Argos, Dixons/Currys, Boots and Halfords. She also spent several years living and working in Indonesia. Girling graduated from Liverpool University with a degree in History and Politics in 1979. Girling was born in 1956, in London, England, United Kingdom.

Ana Gomes

Ana Gomes, Portugal, is a member of Partido Socialista (Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Gomes became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iraq. As a substitute, Gomes sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She is currently a member of the Portuguese branch of Amnesty International.

Before joining Parliament, Gomes was a member of Partido Socialista’s National Secretariat and was Secretary for International Relations until 2004. Between 1999 and 2003, she was Head of the Portuguese Interests Section and an ambassador in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she played an important role in the process leading up to the independence of East Timor and in the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Portugal and Indonesia. She was a member of Portugal ’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York in 1997, with responsibility for coordination of the Portuguese Delegation to the Security Council. In 1994, Gomes became a member of the Special Political Affairs Office (East Timor) of the Foreign Ministry. She was a member of the Portuguese Delegation to the Middle East peace process during Portugal’s EU Presidency in 1992. Gomes was posted to the Permanent Mission to the UN and International Organisations in Geneva from 1986 to 1989, and studied for a diploma at l’Institut International des Droits de l’Homme, Strasbourg, in 1989. She was a diplomatic advisor to the Portuguese President from 1982 to 1986. Gomes completed a diploma in Community Law in 1981 after joining the Portuguese Foreign Service in 1980. Prior to this she completed a degree in Law at the University of Lisbon in 1979. Gomes was born in 1954, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Kinga Göncz

Kinga Göncz, Hungary, is a member of Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP – Hungarian Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. As a substitute, Göncz sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Before joining Parliament, Göncz was Minister of Foreign Affairs in Hungary from 2006 to 2009, and Minister of Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities from 2004 to 2006. She was nominated as Minister without portfolio of Equal Opportunities in 2004, and was appointed as Political State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Social and Family Affairs in 2002. Between 1998 and 2003, Göncz taught a course in the Social Psychology of Prejudice at the Human Rights Department of the Central European University, Hungary. She acted as the director of Partners Hungary from 1994 to 2002, and was an associate professor at the Social Policy and Social Work Department of the Institute for Sociology at Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, from 1989 onwards. Göncz worked as a psychiatrist from 1972 to 1978, having previously been an associate professor at the National Medical Rehabilitation Institute. She obtained her diploma in Psychotherapy from the European Association for Psychotherapy in 2004, having graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Semmelweis University of Medicine, Hungary, in 1972.

Göncz was born in 1947, in Budapest, Hungary.

Sylvie Goulard

Sylvie Goulard, France, is a member of Mouvement Démocrate (MoDem), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. As a substitute, Goulard sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI).

Goulard has written numerous books about the European project, including We Must Cultivate our European Garden, published in 2008, and The Grand Turk and the Republic of Venice, published in 2004. She contributes frequently to both French and international newspapers. Before joining Parliament, Goulard was President of the European Movement in France. She was a lecturer at the College of Europe in Bruges from 2004, and worked as a research associate at the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) from 2005 to 2009. In 2001, Sylvie became a political advisor to Romano Prodi, then President of the European Commission, until 2004. Between 1999 and 2001, she was seconded to work as a researcher for the CERI, having worked at the Centre for Analysis and Forecasting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1996 to1999. She was at the Litigation and Social Affairs Department of the Council of State from 1993 to 1996. In 1989, Sylvie entered the Legal Affairs Department of the French Ministry, having gained qualifications at the prestigious National School of Administration in 1989, at Science Po in Paris in 1986, and graduating with a degree in Law from the University of Aix- en-Provence in 1984.

Sylvie was born in 1964, in Marseille, France.

Ingeborg Grässle

Ingeborg Grässle, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschland (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. As a substitute, Grässle sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Grässle was a member of Baden-Württemberg Regional Assembly from 1996 to 2004. She was Vice-Chair of the CDU Regional Assembly Group in 2004 and was spokeswoman for the City of Russelsheim from 1995 to 1996. She was also a member of the District Council in 1999. From 1982 to 1984, Grässle was an editor for Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, where she worked as a trainee from 1981 to 1982. Grässle gained a doctorate at the Free University of Berlin in 1984, having previously completed her master’s at Stuttgart University in 1989. She studied Romance Languages, History and Politics in Stuttgart and Paris from 1984 to 1989. Grässle was born in 1961, in Heidenheim, Germany.

Catherine Greze

Catherine Greze, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Development (DEVE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Greze sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America. Before joining Parliament, Greze was a participant in the Global Greens organisation. She has been a member of the Greens in the mid-Pyrenees region since 1985. Greze was born in 1960, in Paris, France.

Nathalie Griesbeck

Nathalie Griesbeck, France, is a member of Union pour la Democratie Francaise (UDF – Union for French Democracy), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Griesbeck sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly.

She has been Vice-President of the European Movement in France since 2007, and Vice-Chairman of the Union of Departmental Councillors of France since 2005. She is also the recipient of the Academic Palms and the National Order of Merit.

Before joining Parliament, Griesbeck was Deputy Mayor of Metz with responsibility for finance and economic development, from 2001 to 2004. She was also Vice-Chairwoman of the Metz Metropole Urban Community Council where she was responsible for the same department. From 1995 to 2001, she was Chairwoman of Metz Public Housing Office, and she has also been a lecturer in Public Law at the University of Metz. She completed a second postgraduate diploma in the History of Law in 1981, after studying for her first postgraduate diploma in Public Law in 1980. Griesbeck graduated with a master’s degree in Public Law in 1979. Griesbeck was born in 1956, in Metz, France.

Françoise Grossetête

Françoise Grossetête, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Grossetête sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand.

She has been Chair of the Loire Departmental Air Quality network since 1991 and Chairwoman of the Pilat Regional Nature Reserve since 1989. She is also Vice-Chairwoman of the French Federation of Regional Parks. Before joining Parliament, Grossetête was a member of the Political Bureau of the UMP Party and was their National Secretary in charge of Consumer Protection until 2002. She was a member of Saint-Etienne Municipal Council from 1983 to 2001, before becoming Second Deputy Mayor in 2001. She was also a member of the Démocratic Libérale Policy Bureau and was National Secretary for Equal Opportunities until 1998. From 1984 to 1994, Grossetête was Federal Secretary of the Loire Republican Party. She was a lecturer in Law in higher education institutions from 1969 to 1974. Grossetête graduated from university with a degree in Public Law and Political Science and a Higher Certificate in Social and Labour Law, both in 1969. Grossetête was born in 1946, in Lyon, France.

Sylvie Guillaume

Sylvie Guillaume, France, is a member of Parti Socialiste (PS -Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). As a substitute, Guillaume sits on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Guillaume was a regional councillor in the Rhône- Alpes Council from 1998 to 2009, and President of the Socialist Party’s National Council from 2001 to 2003. Between 1993 and 2003, she was First Secretary of the Socialist Party’s Federation of Rhône, and National Secretary in charge first of the Society’s Questions, then Women’s Rights and finally the development of the Socialist Party. Guillaume worked as a parliamentary assistant from 1995 to 2001, and as a management assistant from 1987 to 1995. From 1984 to 1987, she worked as a state employee. She obtained a Medical diploma in 1984.

Guillaume was born in 1962, in Antony, France

Zita Gurmai

Zita Gurmai, Hungary, is a member of Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP – Hungarian Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, Gurmai sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

She has been the President of PES Women (Arm of the Party of European Socialists dedicated to promoting women’s rights and gender equality) since 2003. Before joining Parliament, Gurmai was a delegate to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from 2003 to 2004 and a member of the Hungarian Parliament from 2002 to 2004. She became an observer in the European Parliament in 2003. Gurmai was a manager at Szelen Muvelodesi Tanacsado Kft (Selenium Cultural Consulting Ltd) and a public relations manager at the Political History Institute in 1994. She became a sales executive with Westel Radiotelefon Kft in 1990. She was also a communications coordinator at the Comporgan Company from 1988 to 1990. Gurmai completed her doctorate in 1991, having graduated in Economics from the Karl Marx University in 1988. Gurmai was born in 1965, in Budapest, Hungary.

Christina Gutiérrez-Cortines

Christina Gutiérrez-Cortines, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As a substitute, Gutiérrez-Cortines sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and as part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Gutiérrez-Cortines was Director of the Botín Foundation Course on Sustainable Development and Conservation of Historical and Natural Heritage from 1995 onwards. She was Minister of Education and Culture in the Murcia Regional Government from 1995 to 1999, and was Director of Cultural Events at La Verdad newspaper, Murcia, from 1989 to 1995. From 1978 to 1993, Gutiérrez-Cortines was Director of Cultural Events and Evening Courses at the University of Murcia. She has been a researcher in Art and Architecture, Urban Planning and the History of Urban Development, as well as in the use of new technologies in the field of Art History. She has a doctorate in Art History, is a professor of Art History and was a higher education teacher from 1968 to 1970. Gutiérrez-Cortines graduated in Humanities. Gutiérrez-Cortines was born in 1939, in Madrid, Spain.

Fiona Hall

Fiona Hall, United Kingdom, is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Hall sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula. She is currently Leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrat Delegation to the European Parliament. Before joining Parliament, Hall was a press and political officer to Lembit Öpik MP and Richard Livsey MP from 1997 to 1999. She was a constituency organiser and researcher to the Rt Hon Alan Beith MP. From 1994 to 1997 she worked as an assistant to Newcastle City Councillors. She was a part-time teacher/tutor and play group leader in Northumberland from 1986 to 1995. During this period, Hall was Vice-Chair of the Druridge Bay Campaign against nuclear power and sand extraction on the Northumberland coast. She left the United Kingdom to teach in a squatter settlement in Botswana from 1977 to 1979. She completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at Oxford Polytechnic in 1977, having graduated with a degree in Modern Languages from Oxford University in 1976.

Hall was born in 1955 in Swinton, England, United Kingdom.

Malgorzata Handzlik

Malgorzata Handzlik, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO – The Civic Platform), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Handzlik sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries.

She has been Vice-President of the board of Kleks Ltd (a company that publishes books and handbooks) since 1990. She is also Vice-President of a local independent radio station, Radio Bielsko Ltd. Before joining Parliament, Handzlik was the head of a Teacher Training Centre, which she owned. She also set up a school of Foreign Languages in her home town, preparing students for European Language Certificate examinations and Polish GCSE language exams. She completed her postgraduate studies in the fields of Economics and Company Administration at the College of Business and Administration in Kraków in 2003. She also studied Journalism at the College of Journalists in Katowice in 2002, having completed her postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Law and Administration in 1997. Handzlik graduated with a master’s degree in Geography from the University of Śląsk in 1990. Handzlik was born in 1965, in Bielsko, Biala, Poland.

Ágnes Hankiss

Ágnes Hankiss, Hungary, is a member of Fidesz-Magyar Polgári Szövetség- Keresztény Demokrata Néppárt, part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE); the Committee on Petitions (PETI); the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also a member of the Delegation for relations with Israel. As a substitute, Hankiss sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States.

She has been on the Duna TV board of Trustees since 2008 and has been Director of the Institute of Béla Hamvas Kultúrakutató since 2003.

Before joining Parliament, Hankiss was Vice-President of the Cooperation with the Hungarian Civic Association from 1995 to 2009, and a delegate on the Board of Trustees of the Hungarian Radio Public Foundation from 1996 to 2008. During this time, between 2000 and 2003, she was Director-General of the Károlyi Palace Cultural Center. From 1994 to 1998, Hankiss worked as a parliamentary adviser, and from 1990 to 1994, she was a member of the Municipality of Budapest. She worked as a freelance writer from 1985, and has published several books, articles and volumes of lectures. Hankiss studied Law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.

Hankiss was born in 1950, in Budapest, Hungary.

Marian Harkin

Marian Harkin, Ireland, is an Independent member of the European Parliament, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the ALDE Bureau.

Harkin became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Harkin sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand. Before joining Parliament, Harkin was elected to the House of Representatives in the Dáil (Irish Parliament) in 2002. She began teaching Mathematics at Mercy College, Sligo, in 1977. At this time she was also active in the voluntary and community sector and was appointed to a body called ‘Developing the West Together,’ established by the Bishops of the West of Ireland. This organisation evolved into the Council for the West, of which Marian became Chairwoman. She completed her Higher Diploma in Education at University College Dublin in 1977, having graduated with a degree in Mathematics from University College Dublin in 1976. Harkin was born in 1953, in Sligo, Ireland.

Rebecca Harms

Rebecca Harms, Germany, is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens) part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Conference of Presidents. She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, Harms sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), the Committee on the Fisheries (PECH), and is also part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Harms was a member of a variety of committees between 1994 and 2004, including the NDR Broadcasting Council, the Association of Hydro-Electric Power Station Operators of Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein. She was an Environment Committee member of the Toto- Lotto Foundation in Lower Saxony from 1998 to 2004. She was also a member of the Lower Saxony Regional Assembly from 1994 to 2004, where she was Group Chair from 1998 to 2004. Between 1988 and 1994, Harms was a member of the Wendland Film Cooperative. She was an assistant to Undine von Blottnitz MEP from 1984 to 1988 and was an Executive Committee member of Lüchow- Dannenberg Citizen’s Environmental Initiative from 1977 to 1984. Harms qualified as a tree nurserywoman and landscape gardener in 1979. Harms was born in 1956, in Hambrock bei Uelzen, Germany.

Satu Hassi

Satu Hassi, Finland, is a member of Vihreä liitto (Green Union), part of the Group of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with India and the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Hassi sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. She has been a member of the Worldwatch Institute since 2003. Before joining Parliament, Hassi received the International Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Environment in 2002. She authored My Hair on a Hat Shelf, Diary of an Environment Minister in 2002, as well as Physics for High School, a Physics textbook, from 1994 to 2001. She was Chairwoman of the Peace Education Institute from 1995 to 1997, and was a member of the Finnish Parliament from 1991 to 1993. Between 1985 and 1991, Hassi was a freelance writer. Her works include Lilith and King Adam’s New Clothes, published in 1990, The Wall Which Does Not Exist, Exercises in Disobedience, published in 1988, and Woman’s Perspective on Technology, published in 1986. She became a member of Tampere town council in 1985, having worked as a design and research engineer from 1979 to 1981. Hassi gained a postgraduate qualification in Technology in 1985, having qualified as an engineer in 1979. Hassi was born in 1951, in Helsinki, Finland.

Jutta Haug

Jutta Haug, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – German Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Haug sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Haug was a member of the SPD Executive from 1999. She was also a member of the Bundestag and Federal State Parliament from 1987 to 1994. She has been a municipal councillor in Herten and was District Chair of the Association of Social-Democratic Women of Westphalia. Haug was born in 1951, in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany.

Anna Hedh

Anna Hedh, Sweden, is a member of Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna Party (Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). As a substitute, Hedh sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America. Before joining Parliament, Hedh was Vice-Chairwoman of the Municipal Executive Board and Opposition Councillor from 2003 to 2004. During this time she was also Vice-Chairwoman of the Oland Association of Local Authorities. She was a member of the Morbylanga Council from 1999 to 2002, and a recreational assistant, before moving into policy work. She became a policy advisor in Kalmar, southeast Sweden, in 1997. From 1993 to 1995, Hedh worked as a treatment assistant. She was the manager of a youth recreation centre in 1992, and a driving school receptionist and youth recreation leader from 1989 to 1991. She was also a catering assistant until 1989, and a youth hostel receptionist in 1988. From 1987 to 1989, Hedh undertook four semesters of studies in Youth Recreation Leadership. She was a children’s nurse in 1987 and a local care assistant in 1986. Hedh was born in 1967, in Uppsala, in Sweden.

Edit Herczog

Edit Herczog, Hungary, is a member of Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP – Hungarian Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She is the Treasurer of the S&D Group. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Herczog sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG); the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT); the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. She is a member of the governing board of the European Energy Forum and of the European Internet Foundation. She is also Chairwoman of the Transatlantic Policy Network and of the Forum for the Future of Nuclear, and Vice- Chairwoman of the Kangaroo Group. Before joining Parliament, Herczog worked for ICI Hungary until 2004, having been made a member of the Council of Europe in 1999. She was employed with Unilever between 1994 and 1997, and was a professor’s assistant at the University of Horticulture from 1989 to 1994. In 1992, Herczog was part of Eotvos Lorand University in their Portuguese Department. She was a research fellow at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences from 1985 to 1989. Before this, she was Manager of National Starch Chemical for the Central and Eastern European Region. She also worked as a translator of Russian in 1985. Herczog graduated as a Food Conservation Engineer from the University of Horticulture. Herczog was born in 1961, in Budapest, Hungary.

Esther Herranz García

Esther Herranz García, Spain, is a member of the Partido Popular (Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2002 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Herranz García sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). Before joining Parliament, Herranz García was a member of the National Executive Committee of the Popular Party from 2002. She held the position of advisor within the office of the President of the La Rioja Autonomous Community until 2002, and also worked as an environmental consultant from 1997 to 1999. In 1996, Herranz García joined the Popular Party as Chairwoman of the Environment Committee of the Rioja Branch. She completed a second master’s degree in Waste Management in 1998 having undertaken a master’s in Regional Planning at the University of Valencia in 1994. She also has a postgraduate degree in Environmental Management from the School of Industrial Organisation. She studied Geography at the University of Saragossa until 1993. Herranz García was born in 1969, in Logroño, Spain.

Jolanta Emilia Hibner

Jolanta Emilia Hibner, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. As a substitute, Hibner sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Before joining Parliament, Hibner was a member of the Polish Parliament from 2005 onwards, having been elected in 2007 and 2005. Prior to that, between 1994 and 2002, she worked as a councillor in Warsaw. From 1990 onwards, she worked at the head office of civil hydro and energy pipeline ENERGOPOL in Warsaw, where she had previously been a specialist in the Directorate General. From 1976 onwards, Hibner was a senior design assistant, having graduated from the Faculty of Sanitary Engineering and Water in 1975.

Hibner was born in 1951, in Ząbki, Poland.

Nadja Hirsch

Nadja Hirsch, Germany, is a member of Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP – Free Democratic Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Hirsch sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula and the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. Before joining Parliament, Hirsch was Deputy Chair of the FDP City Council group and a member of Berg am Laim District Council from 2008 to 2009. She was Deputy Chair of the Expert Committee on Education for the FDP of Bavaria and Deputy Chair of the FDP of Upper Bavaria in 2005. She was an honorary city councillor in the regional capital of Munich from 2002 to 2009, having worked as a freelance graduate psychologist from 2005. Hirsch trained as a mediator between 2003 and 2004. She was a graduate psychologist at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich from 1998 to 2005, having completed her studies in Economics in 2002 at the Distance Teaching University of Hagen. Hirsch was born in 1978, in Munich, Germany.

Monika Hohlmeier

Monika Hohlmeier, Germany, is a member of Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern e.V. (CSU – Christian Social Union in Bavaria), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, Hohlmeier sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council.

She has been studying Economics at Fern Universität in Hagen (Distance University of Hagen) since 2005. Hohlmeier is Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the Marianne Strauss Foundation, and Chairperson of the Association for the Advancement of the Marianne Strauss Foundation. She is also Patron of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Bavaria, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Pfennigparade Foundation. Before joining Parliament, Hohlmeier was a member of the Bavarian Parliament from 1990 to 2008, and most recently a member of the Committee on State Budget and Financial Issues from 2006 to 2008. She was Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Culture from 1998 and 2005, and District Chairperson of the CSU in Munich from 2003 to 2004. She has also been Vice-Chairperson of the CSU. Between 1993 and 1998, Hohlmeier was State Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture, and she has also previously been a member of the Committee for Education, Youth and Sports, Federal and European Affairs. Between 1990 and 1996, she was on the Local Council in Vaterstetten. Hohlmeier graduated from the Institute of Foreign Languages in 1986 after training as a hotel clerk at the Eden Hotel Wolffin Munich until 1983. Hohlmeier was born in 1962, in Munich, Germany.

Mary Honeyball

Mary Honeyball, United Kingdom, is a member of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2000 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). As a substitute, Honeyball sits on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI)and is part of the Delegation for relations with Canada. She is a member of the Royal Society of Arts.

Before joining Parliament, Honeyball was Treasurer of EMILY’s List, UK, from 1998 to 2000, campaigning for more Labour women in Parliament. She was General Secretary of the Association of Chief Officers of Probation from 1994 to 1998 and a member of London Co-operative Retail Services’ Political Committee from 1985 to 1998. From 1992 to 1994, Honeyball was a member of the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations. She was Chief Executive of Gingerbread (a lone parents’ support group) from 1992 to 1994, and the governor of various schools in the London Boroughs of Barnet and Lewisham from 1978 to 1994. She was a service manager for SCOPE from 1990 to 1992. Between 1986 and 1990, Honeyball was General Secretary of the Council for Voluntary Service in the London Borough of Newham. She was also Chair of the London Labour Party’s Women’s Committee from 1982 to 1986. She was a councillor for the London Borough of Barnet from 1978 to 1986. Honeyball graduated with a degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford in 1975. Honeyball was born in 1952, in Weymouth, England, United Kingdom.

Danuta Maria Hübner

Danuta Maria Hübner, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the EPP Bureau.

Hübner became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chair of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Hübner sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is also part of the delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Before joining Parliament, Hübner became the first Polish European Commissioner and was Commissioner for Regional Policy from 2004. She was Minister for European Affairs in Poland between 2003 and 2004 and was Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2001 and 2003, following the 2001 Polish elections. She worked at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva from 2000 to 2001, as an economic adviser to the President of Poland from 1998 to 2001, and as Deputy Executive Secretary at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, in Geneva, from 1998 to 2000. Between 1997 and 1998, Hübner was head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, and from 1996 to 1997 she was part of the Government Plenipotentiary for establishing the Committee for European Integration (KIE). She was Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Ekonomista from 1991 to 1997 and Editor-in-Chief of Gospodarka Narodowa, a Polish economics monthly, from 1994 to 1997. She also acted as Chief Negotiator for accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 1995 to 1996, as Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Industry and Trade from 1994 to 1996, and as an advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 1994 to 1995. She was Deputy Director of the Institute for Development and Strategic Studies in Warsaw between 1991 and 1994. Previously, from 1988 to 1990, Hübner was a Fulbright scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. Shehas been a professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, having graduated from there in 1971 with a master’s in Economics. Hübner was born in 1948, in Nisko, Poland.

Filiz Hakaeva Hyusmenova

Filiz Hakaeva Hyusmenova, Bulgaria, is a member of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the ALDE Bureau.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Hyusmenova sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China.

Before joining Parliament, Hyusmenova was a member of the Central Executive Bureau of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. She was elected as an MP in the 40th National Congress in 2005. She held the position of Minister without Portfolio from 2003 to 2005, was Deputy Regional Governor of Silistra in 2001, and was Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Silistra in 1999. Previously, Hyusmenova worked as a foreign languages expert at the Regional Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education and Science in Silistra in 1997, and as an assistant professor of French at the University of Rousse in 1990. She has a degree in French and Russian Language and Literature from the University of Veliko Tarnovo. Hyusmenova was born in 1966, in Silistra, Bulgaria.

Anna Ibrisagic

Anna Ibrisagic, Sweden, is a member of the Moderata Samlingsparteit (Moderate Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. As a substitute, Ibrisagic sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Before joining Parliament, Ibrisagic was an elected member of the Swedish Parliament from 2002 to 2004, during which time she became a member of the Executive of Paneuropa Sverige in 2003. She was a member of Lulea Municipal Council and the Children’s and Education Committee from 1998 to 2002. Between 2001 and 2002, Ibrisagic was Managing Director of Norrbotten Chamber of Commerce. She was Chairwoman of the Moderate Party in Lulea from 2000 to 2001, having gained a Music Teacher’s diploma in 1998. She was self-employed as an export manager from 1990 to 1998. In 1994, Ibrisagic worked as an authorised interpreter in Swedish and Bosnian. From 1988 to 1991, she was a student at the Faculty of Economics. Ibrisagic worked as an interpreter in German, Russian and English in 1985. Ibrisagic was born in 1967, in Sanslu Most, Sweden.

Sophia in ’t Veld

Sophia in ’t Veld, the Netherlands, is a member of Democraten 66 (Social Liberal Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, in ’t Veld sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation to the EU- Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

She is Chair of Humanistische Omroep (the Humanist Broadcasting Foundation), a member of the Advisory Board of Privacy International, and an honorary member of the National Secular Society Before joining Parliament, in ’t Veld was Secretary-General of the ELDR Group (European Liberal Democrats) in the Committee of the Regions, from 1996 to 2004. She was an assistant to a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and was also a trainee policy advisor at the Gouda Council from 1993 to 1994. In 1993, in ’t Veld completed her post-doctoral training in Management and Public Administration. She worked as a translator from 1991 to 1993, having graduated with a higher degree in History from the State University of Leiden in 1991. In ’t Veld was born in 1963, in Vollenhove, the Netherlands.

Iliana Malinova Iotova

Iliana Malinova Iotova, Bulgaria, is a member of the European Socialist Platform, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and is currently the Vice-Chair for the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. She sits as a full member on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH), the Committee on Petitions (PETI) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union. Before joining Parliament, Iotova was a member of the 40th National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria from 2005. During this time, she was Deputy Chairwoman of the Bulgarian Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and Chairwoman of the Bulgarian representation in the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly. She has been a member of the Supreme Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party since 2000. From 1991 to 1997, she was Reporter, Editor and Head of Directorate of News and Current Affairs Programmes at Bulgarian National Television. Iotova attended l’Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), Strasbourg, in 2007, having graduated with a master’s degree in Bulgarian and French Language and Literature from Sofia University in 1989. Iotova was born in 1964, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

María Irigoyen Pérez

María Irigoyen Pérez, Spain, is a member of Partido Socialista Obrero Español, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Irigoyen Pérez currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and as part of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). Before joining the European Parliament, Irigoyen Pérez was an adviser to the Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office, since April 2008. Prior to this, she was Adviser to the Private Office of the Minister of State for European Affairs. She has served as Socialist Group adviser on Madrid City Council. Having joined the PSOE in 1986, she has worked for the PSOE Federal Executive Committee, in the Education Secretariat and as Coordinator of the International Policy Secretariat. She has also served as the PSOE representative at meetings of the Socialist International on Africa and the Middle East. Before beginning her career in politics, she was an expert in international relations and a researcher at the Fundación Pablo Iglesias. Irigoyen Pérez graduated with a degree in political science and sociology, with specialism in international relations, from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. She completed Postgraduate studies in political sociology and political and social science at the European University Institute in Florence and achieved a Master’s degree on completion of the Public Management Leadership Programme at the IESE Business School. Irigoyen Pérez was born in 1952, in Soria, Spain.

Iliana Ivanova

Iliana Ivanova, Bulgaria, is a member of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control (BUDG) and of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). As a substitute, Ivanova sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand. Before joining Parliament, Ivanova was a member of the local Parliament in the Municipality of Sofia, Bulgaria. She was a member of the Party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) where she was co-ordinator for the political election platform of GERB. Ivanova coordinated the expert groups within GERB before the party won the parliamentary elections in 2009. Between 2002 and 2006, Ivanova worked in the United States while studying for her MBA. She also worked at a number of financial institutions and consulting companies in the United States. Ivanova graduated with Honours from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management in Arizona, where she majored in International Finance. Ivanova was born in 1975, in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

Liisa Jaakonsaari

Liisa Jaakonsaari, Finland, is a member of Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue/Finland’s Socialdemokratiska Parti (Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Commitee. As a substitute, Jaakonsaari sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and is part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa.

Before joining Parliament, Jaakonsaari was a member of the Parliament of Finland from 1979 to 2009. During this time, she was Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee from 1999 to 2007, and Minister of Labour in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen’s First Government from 1995 to 1999. Between 1987 and 1993, Jaakonsaari was Vice-Chair of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group. She worked as a journalist from 1970 to 1979. Jaakonsaari has initiated several important public discussions on Finnish security matters and takes an active part in current discussions. She has written many articles and columns on various socio-political topics including security issues. Jaakonsaari was born in 1945, in Oulu, Finland.

Anneli Jäätteenmäki

Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Finland, is a member of Suomen Keskusta (Finnish Centre Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She is a Vice-Chair of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Jäätteenmäki sits on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO), the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Jäätteenmäki was appointed Prime Minister of Finland in 2003. During this time, she was also a member of the Bureau of the Finnish Parliament. Jäätteenmäki was Chairwoman of the Finnish Centre Party from 2002 to 2003, having been Vice-Chairwoman from 2000 to 2002. She worked as a lawyer from 1996 to 2003. Between 1994 and 1995, Jäätteenmäki served as Minister for Justice in the Finnish Parliament. She was a member of Finland’s Delegation to the Nordic Council and Vice-Chairwoman of Finland’s Delegation to the Council of Europe, from 1987 to 1994. Jäätteenmäki became a member of the Finnish Parliament in 1987. She completed a master’s in Law in 1980 having graduated as a Bachelor of Law.

Jäätteenmäki was born in 1955, in Lapua, Finland.

Lívia Járóka

Lívia Járóka, Hungary, is a member of Fidesz – Magyar Polgári Szövetség (Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and is part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, Járóka sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). She has been undertaking a PhD in Social Anthropology since 2002.

Before joining Parliament, Járóka achieved her MPhil in Social Anthropology from University College London (UCL) in 2002. She gained a master’s in Society and Politics from the University of Central Europe, Warsaw, in 1999, having graduated with a BA in English Teaching from Berzsenyi Daniel Teacher Training College, Szombathely, in 1998. Járóka was born in 1974, in Tata, Hungary.

Danuta Jazłowiecka

Danuta Jazłowiecka, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Jazłowiecka became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. Before joining Parliament, Jazłowiecka was elected as a member of the Polish Parliament for the Opole district in 2007 and 2005. In 2007, she was also elected as Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Jazłowiecka worked as Head of Department for European Affairs at the Development Planning Office of the City of Opole, and until 2003 served as Director of the Department of European Integration Office in the Opolskie Voivodeship (Opole Province). From 1999 she worked as one of the directors of the Department of Regional Development’s office in Opole and from 1993 to 1995, she served as Secretary of the Supervisory Board of Polish Radio, Opole. Jazłowiecka started her own company after graduating from the College of Engineering in Opole. Jazłowiecka was born in 1957, in Opole, Poland.

Sidonia Elżbieta Jędrzejewska

Sidonia Elżbieta Jędrzejewska, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the EPP’s Bureau.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Jędrzejewska sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), and is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Jędrzejewska was Undersecretary of State in the Office of the State Committee for European Integration. In 2006, she became an adviser to the European People’s Party on the budget of the European Union. She has also been an administrator in the Secretariat of the European Parliament Committee on Budgets and an assistant researcher at the Central European University in Warsaw. In the mid-1990s, she worked with the Young Democrats and the European Youth Forum. From 1999 to 2003, she was a PhD student at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology in the Polish Academy of Sciences, having graduated in Sociology from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. Jędrzejewska was born in 1975, in Kraków, Poland.

Elisabeth Jeggle

Elisabeth Jeggle, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschland (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with Canada. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). As a substitute, Jeggle sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation to the EU- Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. She is currently Chair of the Catholic Independent Schools Foundation in Rottenburg-Stuttgart Diocese and Chair of the Landfrauen (Countrywomen’s Association) in Biberach. She has been a member of the Baden-Würtemberg CDU Land Executive Committee since 1995 and the CDU Federal Committee on Agricultural Policy since 1994. Before joining Parliament, Jeggle was a member of Bibernach District Council. In 1994, she became Vice-Chair of Bibernach CDU. Jeggle gained a master’s in Rural Home Economics in 1981 and a master’s in Home Economics in 1980, having studied the subject from 1964 to 1967. Jeggle was born in 1947, in Untermarchtal, Germany.

Anne E. Jensen

Anne E. Jensen, Denmark, is a member of Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti (Venstre, Liberal Party of Denmark), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Jensen sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. Before joining Parliament, Jensen was Senior Editor of Berlingske Tidende, a Danish broadsheet newspaper, from 1996 to 1998. She was also Director of the Danish Employers’ Confederation from 1994 to 1996. Between 1985 and 1994, Jensen was Chief Economist at Privatbanken/Unibank. She worked as a journalist at Berlingske Tidende from 1984 to 1985, and was an economist from 1978 to 1984. She graduated with a master’s degree in Political and Economic Science from Copenhagen University in 1978. Jensen was born in 1951, in Kalundborg, Denmark.

Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio

Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. As a substitute, Jiménez- Becerril Barrio sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI), and is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Before joining Parliament, Jiménez-Becerril Barrio worked for a company involved in the restoration and management of housing. She has also had work published in a variety of national and foreign journals. Following the death of her brother in a coup, she became involved in the activities of public organisations defending human freedoms and rights of victims of terror. She became President of a Foundation named after her brother. Jiménez-Becerril Barrio trained at the Institute of Fashion in Milan, and also graduated from the Complutense University of Madrid. She was born in 1961, in Seville, Spain.

Eva Joly

Eva Joly, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chair of the Committee on Development (DEVE). She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs, and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Joly sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States.

She is the holder of a number of awards, including the 2004 Torgny Segerstedt Award and the 2003 Equal Opportunity Award from the Confederation of Vocational Unions. Before joining Parliament, Joly was a special adviser at Norad from 2005 to 2009, having previously worked as a special adviser in the Ministry of Justice and the Police from 2002 to 2005. She was an economic magistrate specialising in economic crime in Paris between 1993 and 2002, and was Deputy Secretary General of the Inter-departmental Industrial Restructuring Committee (CIRI) from 1990 to 1993. Before this, from 1989 to 1990, Joly was a rapporteur at the CIRI. Between 1981 and 1989, she was a public prosecutor in economic crime, having been the head of the legal service at a psychiatric hospital in Etampes between 1974 and 1981. From 1972 to 1973, she worked as a freelance translator (Norwegian and French), after acting as an assistant to the administrative director of the record company BARCLEY from 1969. She has published a number of books, including Des heros ordinaires in 2009, Est-ce dans ce monde-là que nous voulons vivre? in 2003, and Notre affaire à tous in 2000. She completed a postgraduate degree in Public Law, specialising in Political Science, at the University of Paris-Assas in 1980, having completed a degree in Law at the same university in 1971.

Joly was born in 1943, in Oslo, Norway.

Romana Jordan

Romana Jordan, Slovenia, is a member of Slovenska Demokratska Stranka (SDS – Slovenian Democratic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Jordan sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. She is currently Secretary of the University Science Forum and is a member of the MEPs Against Cancer Group. Before joining Parliament, Jordan was President of the Nuclear Society of Slovenia until 2006 and a member of Domžale Municipal Council from 2002 to 2004. She was a researcher at the Jožef Stefan Institute until 2004 and was Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Municipality of Domžale from 1998 to 2002. Jordan completed a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Ljubljana in 2001, having gained a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1994. Prior to this, she graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana in 1990.

Jordan was born in 1966, in Celje, Slovenia.

Karin Kadenbach

Karin Kadenbach, Austria, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (Austrian Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. As a substitute, Kadenbach sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. Before becoming an MEP, Kadenbach worked as an advertising assistant to J W Thompson Advertising agency and recieved a degree in Advertising and Management in 1983 from the Vienna University of Economics. From 1990 to 2006, Kadenbach was a municipal and senior councillor in Austria. During this period, she also held several postions in the Austrian Social Democrat Party including election campaign coordinator, campaign manager and regional manager of the Lower Austrian Region. Since 1995 she has been the Party’s Vice Chair for women.

Kadenbach was born in 1958, in Wien, Austria.

Sandra Kalniete

Sandra Kalniete, Latvia, is a member of Pilsoniskā Savienība (PS – Civic Union), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with Japan. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). As a substitute, Kalniete sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. She has been leader of the Civic Union Party since 2008, having left the New Era Party in the same year. Before joining the European Parliament, Kalniete was elected to the Latvian Parliament, after joining the New Era Party in 2006. In 2005, she worked as a special adviser to the EU Commissioner for Energy and was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the independent think tank Friends of Europe. She became Latvia’s EU Commissioner in 2004. At this time, she was also a member of the administrative board of the Robert Schuman Foundation in France. She worked as Foreign Minister of Latvia from 2002 to 2004 and, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Latvia’s ambassador to UNESCO from 2000 to 2002, to France from 1997 to 2000, and to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997. She began taking an interest in politics in 1988 during Latvia’s independence movement, and was Deputy Chairwoman of Latvian Popular Front, the main pro- independence political organisation. Kalniete worked as an art historian after studying Art at the Latvian Academy of Art until 1981. She is the author of three books: Ar balles kurpēm Sibīrijas sniegos (With dancing shoes in Siberian snows), published in 2001, Es lauzu, tu lauzi, mēs lauzām. Viņi lūza (I broke, you broke, we broke. They fell apart), published in 2000, and Latviešu tekstilmāksla (Latvian Textile Art), published in 1989. Kalniete was born in 1952, Togur, Tomsk Oblast, Russia.

Petra Kammerevert

Petra Kammerevert, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – Social Democratic Party of Germany ), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Kammerevert sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Kammerevert was a consultant at ARD public service broadcasting company from 2002 to 2009. She was a member of the municipal council of Düsseldorf from 1999 to 2009, and a scientific adviser to several German MEPs from 1992 to 2002. From 2004 onwards, she was a member of the executive committee of the SPD Niederrhein region and from 1997 she was a member of the executive committee of the subdistrict SPD-Düsseldorf. Between 1992 and 1995, Kammerevert was Chair of the Young Socialists in Düsseldorf. Kammerevert obtained a degree in Social Science from the University of Duisburg in 1992. Kammerevert was born in 1946, in Duisburg, Germany.

Franziska Keller

Franziska Keller, Germany, is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on International Trade (INTA). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Keller sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Keller was a member of the Federation of Young European Greens from 2001, the International Youth Association in Guben, and the European Youth Forum. Since 2002, she has been an active member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, first as a district association manager in Spree-Neisse, and then as a chairperson and spokesperson on women’s rights in Lavo Brandenburg. Keller studied Islamic, Turkish and Jewish Studies at Freie Universität (Free University) in Berlin. Keller was born in 1981, in Guben, Germany.

Nicole Kiil-Nielsen

Nicole Kiil-Nielsen, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. She sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan. As a substitute, Kiil-Nielsen sits on the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI).

Before joining Parliament, Kiil-Nielsen led her own list in the 2008 municipal elections (Rennes verte et solidaire), which won 8.93% in the first round but did not participate in the runoff. Before this, she was an assistant to the Mayor in charge of decentralized co-operation and international solidarity. She won her first elected office in the 2001 municipal elections in Rennes. She has been a feminist and anti-nuclear activist since the 1960s. Kiil-Nielsen was born in 1949, in Larchamp, France.

Christa Klass

Christa Klass, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschland (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). As a substitute, Klass sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America. She is Chair of the Rhineland-Nassau Countrywomen’s Association and District Chair of Trier Women’s Union. Before joining Parliament, Klass was a self-employed wine grower. She has held the positions of Bernkastel-Wittlick District Council member and Vice-Chair of the Bernkastle-Wittlich CDU District Association. She obtained a master’s degree in Rural Home Economics in 1975. Klass was born in 1951, in Osann, Germany.

Mojca Kleva

Mojca Kleva, Slovenia, is a member of Socialni Demokrati (SD), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2011 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and as part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Kleva was a Permanent Representative of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia to the European Parliament from 2009 to 2011, having served in the European Parliament from 2003 to 2004 and as a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia in 2004. From 1999 to 2009, she was a member of Koper Municipal Council. During this time, she was also a member of the Executive Committee of the European Women’s Lobby from 2007 to 2009. She graduated with a degree in Political science in 2002 and completed a master’s degree in 2007. Kleva was born in 1976, in Koper, Slovenia.

Silvana Koch-Mehrin

Silvana Koch-Mehrin, Germany, is a member of Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP – Free Democratic Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and as part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Koch- Mehrin sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA), the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), and is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. She is a member of Young Global Leaders, a member of the World Economic Forum, and an ambassador for SOS-Children’s Villages in Germany. Before joining Parliament, Koch-Mehrin was the co-founder and manager of a business consultancy until 2004. She became a member of the FDP Bureau in the same year. Also in 2004, she was awarded the ‘Woman of the Year’ award by Freundin magazine and the ‘Up and Coming Politician of the Year’ award. In 1999, she was Chairwoman of the FDP’s Extraterritorial Group in Europe and a member of the Executive Committee. Koch-Mehrin completed her PhD in 1998, having studied Economics and History.

Koch-Mehrin was born in 1970, in Wuppertal, Germany.

Lena Kolarska-Bobińska

Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with India. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). As a substitute, Kolarska-Bobińska sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Iran. She has been a member of the Board of Patrons of Tischner European University since 2008. She has also been a member of the Ethics Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences and a member of the Steering Committee of the Centre for East European Language Based Area Studies, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, since 2007. Since 1999 she has been a member of the Committee of Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Kolarska-Bobińska is the recipient of a number of awards, including Ordre National du Mérite issued by the President of France in 2005, and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland issued by the President of Poland in 2004. Before joining Parliament, Kolarska-Bobińska was Director of the Institute of Public Affairs from 1997 to 2009. During this time she participated in several research projects, including one entitled ‘Economic consciousness of the society and the image of business.’ She was Director of the Centre for Public Opinion Research, an institute affiliated to the Council of Ministers from 1991 to 1997, and she received the title of Professor in 1993. Between 1990 and 1991 Kolarska-Bobińska was Head of the Department of Economy and Politics at the Polish Academy of Sciences. She was an associate Professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences from 1983 to 1991. She was also a visiting fellow at Stanford University and Mellon University, USA, from 1974 to 1976. She received her PhD from the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1974. Kolarska-Bobińska was an assistant professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences between 1970 and 1983, having completed her MA in Sociology at Warsaw University in 1970.

Kolarska-Bobińska was born in 1947, in Praga, Poland. Maria Eleni Koppa

Maria Eleni Koppa, Greece, is a member of Panellinio Socialistiko Kinima (Panhellenic Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. She sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. As a substitute, Koppa sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI).

She is a member of the National Foreign Policy Committee and the Pasok Political Affairs Committee.

Before joining Parliament, Koppa was an assistant professor in Balkan Political Affairs at Panteion University from 2002 onwards. She was a special advisor on Balkan Affairs for the Foreign Ministry from 1994 to 2000. Koppa completed her doctoral thesis in Comparative Politics at the University of Paris X-Nanterre in 1992, having previously completed a diploma in Advanced Studies (DEA) in Comparative Politics at the University of Paris X-Nanterre in 1987. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at Athens University in 1985.

Koppa was born in 1963, in Athens, Greece.

Eija-Riitta Korhola

Eija-Riitta Korhola, Finland, is a member of Kansallinen Kokoomus Party (National Coalition Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently a member of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Korhola sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States.

She has been Vice-Chairwoman of the National Coalition Party since 2006. She has also been Chairwoman of the human rights organisation, First Step Forum, since 2002, and is a member of the Board of Yllätin Oy. Before joining Parliament, Korhola was a journalist and educator on radio, television and in the press from 1996 to 1999. She was an assistant in a radio editorial office from 1994 to 1998, during which time she worked as a publicist at the Helsinki Festival of 1997. From 1993 to 1996, Korhola was a development educator at Finnchurchaid, one of the major non-governmental organisations in Finland which carries out development, relief and inter-church aid. Korhola completed her postgraduate degree in Philosophy in 1994, having graduated with a master’s degree in Philosophy from Helsinki University in 1990.

Korhola was born in 1959, in Lahti, Finland.

Elisabeth Köstinger

Elisabeth Köstinger, Austria, is a member of Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP – Austrian People’s Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, Köstinger sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Israel. As well as sitting on the AGRI committee, Köstinger has been the Vice-Chair of the Austrian Farmers Federation since 2009. She has a history of involvement in rural development issues, having held positions of leadership in the Austrian Rural Youth Movement at local, district and regional level from 1995 to 2005. She has also been federal head of the Austrian Young Farmers Association since 2007.

Köstinger studied journalism, communication and applied cultural studies at the University of Klagenfurt (2003). She has also taken part in courses organised by the Austrian Rural Youth Organisation and the Young Farmer’s Organisation. Köstinger was born in 1978, in Wolfsberg, Austria.

Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou

Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Greece, is a member of Nea Dimokratia (ND – New Democratic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999. She currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Kratsa- Tsagaropoulou sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. She is Chair of the International Organisation for the Promotion of Women in Europe in Brussels, is a member of the governing board of the European Centre for Culture in Geneva, and is a member of the governing board of the Foundation for the Child and the Family. Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou is also a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Konstantinos Karamanlis Foundation for Democracy. She has been awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French Republic, as well as various other awards from International and European organisations. Before joining Parliament, Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou was a municipal councillor in Athens, and Vice-Chairwoman of the European Movement, Greek Section, in 1998. She was on the secretariat of the Women’s Movement in 1993, and was on the local authority secretariat in 1990. She was the founder and President of the European Centre for Communication and Information in 1989, and the founding member of the ‘Women in Europe’ Award, Brussels, in 1987. Kratsa- Tsagaropoulou began her career in 1987 as a member of the ND International Relations Secretariat. Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou was born in 1953, on Zakynthos, in Greece.

Constanze Angela Krehl

Constanze Angela Krehl, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – Social Democratic Party of Germany), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Krehl sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

She is the holder of the Federal Order of Merit, awarded in 1998. Before joining Parliament, Krehl was Regional Chair of the SPD in Saxony from 1999 to 2004, and Regional Vice-Chair between 1996 and 1999. She has been a member of the SPD Federal Executive Committee since 1999, having been made Deputy Group Chair in the People’s Assembly of the German Democratic Republic and a member of the Bundestag, in 1990. In 1984, she left her career to look after her home and children. Prior to this, she worked in various IT positions between 1980 and 1984, after qualifying as an IT specialist in 1980. She studied at Dresden Technical University between 1975 and 1980.

Krehl was born in 1956, in Stuttgart, Germany.

Jean Lambert

Jean Lambert, United Kingdom, is a member of the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Chairwoman of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Delegation Chairs and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). As a substitute, Lambert sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (JURI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with India. She has been Vice-President of Waltham Forest Race Equality Council since 1999 and a Trustee of the Dalit Solidarity Campaign UK since 1994. Before joining Parliament, Lambert was a secondary school teacher from 1993 to 1999 and before that from 1985 to 1989 and from 1972 to 1978. She was a representative for the Federation of European Green Parties from 1987 to 1989, and was Principal Speaker of the Green Party Council from 1998 to 1999, and in 1993. In 1998, Lambert gained a Professional Development Certificate (BTEC). She was Chair of the Green Party Executive from 1993 to 1994 and was the political liaison officer for the Green Group in the European Parliament in 1989. Between 1982 and 1985, Lambert was Co-Chair of the Green Party Council. She authored the book, NoChange? No Chance! published in 1996. Lambert completed an ADB(Ed) and a teaching qualification (PGCE) in 1972, having graduated with a BA in Modern Languages in 1971. Lambert was born in 1950, in Orsett, England, United Kingdom.

Agnès Le Brun

Agnès Le Brun, France, is a member of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) party, part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2011 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. Le Brun was born in 1961, in Chaumont en Vexin, France

Constance Le Grip

Constance Le Grip, France, is a member of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) party, part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2010 and currently sits as a Vice-Chair on the Committee for Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and as a full member on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. As a substitute, Le Grip sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China.

Before joining Parliament, Le Grip was a Member of Neuilly-sur-Seine Municipal Council from 2001 to 2008. She worked as an Adviser to Nicholas Sarkozy from 2002 to 2010 at the Ministry for Home Affairs, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, and also in his role as President of France. She has also worked as a Parliamentary Adviser to Alain Lamassoure at the Ministry of European Affairs and at the Ministry of Finance from 1993 to 1997. Since February 2010 she has been a member of the UMP national council.

Le Grip graduated from the Strasbourg Institute of Political Studies in 1981. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma (DEA) from the Paris Institute of Political Studies. Le Grip was born in 1960, in Chatou, France.

Corinne Lepage

Corinne Lepage, France, is a member of Mouvement Démocrate (MoDem), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, Lepage sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. She is the founding member of CRII-VIE, the Association for the Study of the Impact of Genetic Techniques upon the Living. As an administrator for Transparency International, France, she is also involved in the fight against political and financial corruption. Before joining Parliament, Lepage taught Law at the Paris Institute of Political Studies (IEP) and at the University of Versailles in St Quentin-en-Yvelines. She has been a candidate in the French Presidential elections on two occasions, in 2007 and 2002. Before this, from 1989 to 2001, she was Deputy Mayor of Cabourg in Calvados, during which time she became Minister of the Environment in the Government of Alain Juppe from 1995 to 1997. In 1978, Lepage founded the first law firm which specialises in environmental rights. She has worked on many cases concerning the environment, particularly since the Amoco Cadiz disaster in which she represented local communities damaged by an American oil tanker in 1978. She began practicing law after gaining her Law diploma at Sciences-Po University in Paris in 1975. Lepage was born in 1951, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

Marine Le Pen

Marine Le Pen, France, is a member of Front National (National Front), and is a Non-Attached member of the European Parliament (NI – Non-Inscrits). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Le Pen sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA). She is Chairwoman of the Generation Le Pen Association. Before joining Parliament, Le Pen was the director of the National Front Legal Service from 1998 to 2004, having been a practising lawyer in Paris from 1992 to 1998. Le Pen completed a diploma to practise Law in 1992, following a postgraduate diploma in Criminal Law in 1991. She graduated with a master’s degree in Law from the University of Paris II in 1990. Le Pen was born in 1968, in Neuilly sur Seine, France.

Eva Lichtenberger

Eva Lichtenberger, Austria, is a member of Die Grünen-Die Grüne Alternative (Austrian Green Party), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, Lichtenberger sits on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. Lichtenberger qualified as a teacher in 1974 and later received a PhD in psychology and politics from the University of Innsbruck in 1987. Lichtenberger initially worked as a primary school and secondary school teacher in the Tyrol region, before moving into the field of adult education.

Lichtenberger has played an active role in the Green party, including acting as their spokesperson for the Tyrol region from 1989 to 1999, and spokesperson for transport and tourism for the Austrian Greens, from 1999 to 2004. From 1999 to 2004, Lichtenberger was a member of the Austrian Parliament where she sat on the Committee for Transport, the Committee on National Defence and the Main Committee (responsible for European affairs).

Lichtenberger was born in 1954, in Zams, Austria.

Kartika Tamara Liotard

Kartika Tamara Liotard, the Netherlands, is a member of Onafhankelijk lid, part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament. She is also Vice-Chair of the Nordic Green Left. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and as part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. As a substitute, Liotard sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Before joining Parliament, she worked as a legal adviser in the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. In May 2009, she co-authored a book on the EU’s policies towards privatization of water services both within the Union and (through its aid and trade policies) around the world. Liotard was born in 1971, in Voorburg, the Netherlands.

Barbara Lochbihler

Barbara Lochbihler, Germany, is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and a full member of the Conference of Committee Chairs. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iran and the Delegation for relations with India. She is a member of the Coordination Group of the Human Rights Forum and a member of the Advisory Council of the European Center of Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR). She also sits on the Board of Trustees at the German Institute for Human Rights.

Before joining Parliament, Lochbihler was Secretary-General of Amnesty International, Germany, from 1999 to 2009. She was also Secretary-General of the German Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in Geneva from 1992 to 1999. From 1987 to 1991, Lochbihler was Parliament Speaker for the Bavarian Greens’ State Parliamentary Representative, Eleonore Romberg, and from 1984 to 1987, she was Director of a municipal service centre for the elderly in the Munich district of Haidhausen. She worked as a lecturer at the University of Munich, having completed her studies in Social Pedagogy at the Catholic University Foundation in Munich, and in Political Science, Economics and International Law. Lochbihler was born in 1959, in Obergünzburg, Germany.

Veronica Lope Fontagné

Veronica Lope Fontagné, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa and the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament. As a substitute, Lope Fontagné sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). Before joining Parliament, Lope Fontagné was a councillor in Zaragoza. She holds a degree in Law and is a qualified lawyer. Lope Fontagné was born in 1952, Caudéran, Spain.

Sabine Lösing

Sabine Lösing, Germany, is a member of Die Linke (The Left), part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa and the Delegation for relations with the Pan- African Parliament. As a substitute, Lösing is part of the Delegation to the ACP- EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Lösing was a social worker and worked from 1985 to 1989 at a youth centre in Göttingen. Prior to this, she completed her training in social therapy and, in 1985, her training in social work. Lösing worked as a research assistant after studying Social Sciences, Art history and Economics in Göttingen in 1975. She was one of the founding members of WASG (Arbeit & Soziale Gerechtigkeit – Die Wahlalternative) a political party in Germany. Lösing was born in 1955, in Göttingen, Germany.

Isabella Lövin

Isabella Lövin, Sweden, is a member of Miljöpartiet de Gröna (Green Party), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Lövin sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE).

Before joining Parliament, Lövin worked as a freelance reporter and book editor from 2004 to 2009. She authored Tyst hav (Silent Seas) in 2007, a book about the shortcomings of the European Common Fisheries Policy. The book has won 14 different prizes in Sweden, including the ‘Golden Spade of Investigative Journalism’ in 2008, and ‘The Swedish journalism Award’ in 2007. Lövin was Editor of the magazine Allt om mat and Chief Editor of the magazine Leva from 2002 to 2003. She was also Managing Editor of the magazine Månadsjournalen from 1997 to 2002. Lövin was a radio producer and a reporter of debate programmes on the Swedish channel P1, from 1994 to 1997, having received a diploma in radio production at the Dramatic Arts Institute (Dramatiska Institutet) in Sweden in 1994. She was a journalist and freelance reporter for various Swedish magazines and newspapers from 1985 to 1992. She completed her studies in Political Science at Università di Bologna in 1987, having graduated with a degree in Political Science, Sociology, Italian and Film Science at Stockholm University in 1985.

Lövin was born in 1963, in Helsingborg, Sweden.

Baroness Sarah Ludford

Baroness Sarah Ludford, United Kingdom, is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Vice- Chairwoman of the Delegation for relations with the United States. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). As a substitute, Baroness Ludford sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Before joining Parliament, Baroness Ludford was a councillor in the London Borough of Islington from 1991 to 1999. She was an independent advisor on European Affairs from 1990 to 1999 and was Vice-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Party’s Federal Policy Committee from 1991 to 1998. In 1997 she became a Life Peer in the House of Lords. From 1985 to 1995, Baroness Ludford worked at Lloyds of London and American Express Europe, and was an official in the European Commission from 1979 to 1985. She has worked at the Department of the Environment and at the Independent Broadcasting Authority. She graduated with a master’s in European Studies from the London School of Economics in 1977 after working as a barrister at the Inns of Court School of Law from 1972 to 1975. She gained a bachelor’s in International History from the London School of Economics in 1972. Baroness Ludford was born in 1951, in Halesworth, England, United Kingdom.

Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska

Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Łukacijewska sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China.

Before joining Parliament, Łukacijewska was elected as a member of the Polish Sejm in 2007, 2005 and 2001. She served on the Committee of Environment, Natural Resources and Forestry, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Education Committee. She was also Vice-President of the Committee on Equality between Men and Women and was a member of the Polish-Ukrainian Parliamentary Assembly. She graduated from the Faculty of Management and Marketing, Rzeszów University of Technology, in 2004. Before this, in 1998, Łukacijewska was Mayor of the municipality of Cisna and Vice-President of the convent heads of the Bieszczady municipalities. She also worked as an accountant at Alima-Gerber SA in Rzeszów. Łukacijewska was born in 1966, in Jasło, Poland.

Astrid Lulling

Astrid Lulling, Luxembourg, is a member of Parti Chretien Social (PCS – Christian Social People’s Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1989 and is a Quaestor of the European Parliament and a member of the Parliament’s Bureau. She sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Lulling sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). She is the recipient of the Commander of the Order of the Republic (Italy) and the Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. She also holds the Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Oak (Luxembourg).

Before joining Parliament, Lulling was a member of Schifflange Municipal Council for thirty years, during which time she was Mayor of the town from 1970 to 1985. She was a member of the Consumer’s Consultative Committee in the European Commission from 1974 to 1982, and was a member of the PSD executive committee from 1971 to 1982. In 1974, Lulling was Chairwoman of the PSD parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies. She was elected to the European Parliament for the first time in 1965. She was Secretary-General of the Unions of Agricultural Workers and of Food Industry Workers at the European Community Trade Union Secretariat in 1963. From 1943 to 1963, Lulling was Editor of Lëtzebuerger Arbechter-Verband. From 1950 to 1958, she worked for the Miners and Metalworkers Contact Office with the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), Luxembourg. Lulling studied Political Economy at the University of Saarbrücken in Germany from 1953 to 1955. Lulling was born in 1929, in Schifflange, Luxembourg.

Ulrike Lunacek

Ulrike Lunacek, Austria, is a member of Die Grünen - Die Grüne Alternative (Austrian Green Party), part of the Greens – European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Lunacek sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Lunacek is a co-chair of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans People.

Before her election to the European Parliament, Lunacek was a Green member of the Austrian Parliament from 1999 to 2009. As a member of the Austrian Parliament she was vice-president of the Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the European Committee. She was the Green’s spokesperson on European policy and equality for Lesbians, Gays and Transgender Persons. She was the co-chair of the European Green Party from 2006 to 2009. Prior to becoming an elected representative, Lunacek worked in the fields of development and women’s rights, including acting as coordinator for the Austrian NGO’s platform during the UN International Conference on Population and Development, and acting as media campaign coordinator at the UN Fourth World Conference for Women. She also worked as a press officer and then magazine editor at the ÖIE (Austrian Development Policy Information Service; now the Südwind Agency). Lunacek originally studied Interpreting at the University of Innsbruck, graduating in 1983. Lunacek was born in 1957, in Krems, Lower Austria.

Monica Luisa Macovei

Monica Luisa Macovei, Romania, is a member of Partidul Democrat Liberal (PDL – Democratic Liberal Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chairwoman of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Delegation Chairs, the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Macovei sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation to the EU- Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Macovei was Romanian Justice Minister from 2004 to 2007 and was credited with implementing the justice reforms that helped Romania to join the European Union and fight corruption in the country. From 2001 to 2004, she served as President of the Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Romania – the Helsinki Committee, and from 1997 to 2004, she worked as a lawyer with the Bucharest Bar. She has also served as an expert and advisor to the Council of Europe, the European Roma Rights Centre, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Open Society Institute, and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. Macovei worked as a prosecutor between 1983 and 1997, and was an Eisenhower Exchange Fellow in 1997. She is a founding member of Transparency International Romania, and has conducted research on gender in Romanian law and on violence against women. Before this, Macovei was a civil society activist for political reform, democratization and human rights in post-1989 Romania. She received a master’s in Comparative Constitutional Law from the University of the State of New York/Central European University in 1994, having graduated with Honours from the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest in 1982. Macovi was born in 1958, in Bucharest, Romania.

Ramona Nicole Mănescu

Ramona Nicole Mănescu, Romania, is a member of Partidul National Liberal, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. As a substitute, Mănescu sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Japan.

Before joining Parliament, Mănescu was Vice-Chairperson and Undersecretary of the National Youth Authority from 2005 to 2007. She completed her doctorate in International Relations and European Integration at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies in Bucharest in 2006. Prior to this, in 2005, she undertook postgraduate studies at the National Defence University, where she wrote a dissertation entitled ‘Romania and European Security and Defence Policy’. Between 2002 and 2004, Mănescu was a parliamentary expert in the Romanian Parliament and an adviser to the Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Defence, Internal Affairs and National Security in the Chamber of Deputies. In 2004 she was Coordinator of the Empowerment of Women in Politics project in Poland, and in 2003 she was a media awareness programme consultant. Mănescu worked as a lawyer at the Bucharest bar, during which time she owned a practice, the Ramona Nicole Mănescu law office, from 2000 to 2005. She completed a degree in Law at the University of Bucharest in 1999. Manescu was born in 1972, in Constanta, Romania.

Riikka Manner

Riikka Manner, Finland, is a member of Suomen Keskusta (Kesk – Centre Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the Bureau of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, Manner sits on the Committee for Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Manner worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland from 2008 and 2009. She also worked in the Parliament of Finland as a political advisor from 2007 to 2008. Manner obtained a master’s in Economics from the University of Joensuu and the University of Minho in 2008, having previously completed a master’s in Social Sciences at the University of Lapland and the Technical University of Lisbon in 2005. Manner was born in 1981, in Varkaus, Finland.

Marisa Matias

Marisa Matias, Portugal, is a member of Bloco de Esquerda (BE), part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

Matias became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). As a substitute, Matias sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Delegation for relations with South Africa. Before joining Parliament, Matias was a sociologist and undertook research at the University of Coimbra. Her research focused on the areas of environment and public health.

Matias was born in 1976, in Coimbra, Portugal.

Barbara Matera

Barbara Matera, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Matera became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Matera sits on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Matera was a television presenter, actress and model. In 2009, she appeared in the Canale 5 television film Due Mamme di Troppo directed by Antonello Grimaldi, and in 2007 she played the role of a journalist in the Rai Uno mini-series La Terza Verità, directed by Stefano Reali. From 2003 to 2007, she was an announcer for Rai Uno. In 2003 she appeared in the film Ma che colpa abbiamo noi, directed by Carlo Verdone. Matera studied Educational Sciences at the Sapienza University of Rome.

Matera was born in 1981, in Foggia, Italy.

Véronique Mathieu

Véronique Mathieu, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM), and as part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As a substitute, Mathieu sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and is part of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. She is a member of the National Union for the Use of Tracker Dogs, and President of St. Hubert National Federation of Associations of Private Gamekeepers. She has been a member of the UMP National Council since 2004 and has been National Secretary of the CPNT, a hunting movement, since 2003. Before joining Parliament, Mathieu managed a general medical practice from 1982 to 1999. She was Vice-Chairwoman of the Regional Council of Private Gamekeepers of Lorraine in 1998, and was an administrator at the Departmental Game Association in 1997. She worked as Secretary of the Association for Hunting Festivals, Epinal Hunting Federation, in 1991, having been a dental assistant until 1982. Mathieu graduated with a Paramedical Baccalaureate in 1975. Mathieu was born in 1955, in Nancy, France.

Zofija Mazej Kukovič

Zofija Mazej Kukovič, Slovenia, is a member of Slovenska Demokratska Stranka (SDS – Slovenian Democratic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2011 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and as part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and as part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa. Before joining the European Parliament, Mazej Kukovič was the Minister of Health of the Republic of Slovenia from 2007 to 2008. Mazej Kukovič was born in 1955, in Črna, Slovenia.

Erminia Mazzoni

Erminia Mazzoni, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the EPPs’ Bureau.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Chair of the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs, the Committee on Regional Development (REGI), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. As a substitute, Mazzoni sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Mazzoni was a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, having been elected in 2006. She worked as Provencal Secretary of Benevento from 1998 to 1999 and from 1996 to 1997, and was also part of the Delegation of the Campania Region in the United States for bilateral talks on international federal systems. She received a degree in interpreting and translation in 1988, followed by a degree in law from the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ in 1989.

Mazzoni was born in 1965, in Naples, Italy.

Linda McAvan

Linda McAvan, United Kingdom, is a member of the European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1998. She currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, McAvan sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America. She is a member of Unison Trade Union and a member of the Fabian Society. She has also been Chair of the South Yorkshire Partnership since 2000. Before joining Parliament, McAvan was Vice-Chair of the Sheffield District Labour Party from 1993 to 1998. She was Senior Strategy Officer of European Affairs with Barnsley Borough Council, with responsibility for bidding for European Funding for South Yorkshire, between 1991 and 1998. McAvan was Coordinator of the European Association of Local Authorities of Coal Mining Areas (EUR-ACOM) from 1991 to 1995, and Campaign Coordinator for the Hillsborough Constituency Labour Party from 1992 to 1993. She was European Officer for the Coalfield Communities Campaign in 1991, and was also Head of Information in the European Community Youth Exchange Bureau. She was a press officer for the Youth Forum of the European Community until 1990. From 1985 to 1988, McAvan was an administrator for the Confederation of Socialist Parties of the European Community. Prior to this she was also a translator with Agence Europe from 1984 to 1985. McAvan completed a master’s in International Relations at Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1990, having graduated from Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh with a degree in Languages in 1984. McAvan was born in 1962, in Bradford, England, United Kingdom.

Arlene McCarthy

Arlene McCarthy, United Kingdom, is a member of the European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and is currently Vice- Chairwoman of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, McCarthy sits on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.

She is a member of the Co-operative Party, UNISON and UNITE. She was a National and North West Council Member for the Britain in Europe campaign.

Before joining Parliament, McCarthy authored ‘European Regional Development Strategies: Responses of Two Northern Regions,’ Local Government Policy Making, Vol 20, No 5, 1994. She was Principal European Liaison Officer at Kirklees Metropolitan Council in 1994. She was also a lecturer in Politics at the Institute for International Politics and Regional Studies at the Free University of Berlin from 1991 to 1992. From 1989 to 1992, McCarthy worked with the Socialist Group in the European Parliament before becoming the assistant to Glyn Ford MEP. She studied for a PhD at the University of Manchester, having previously spent time at the Free University of Berlin from 1986 to 1988. McCarthy studied at Stuttgart University in the Faculty of Law and at Clermont- Ferrand University in the Department of Political Science, after graduating with a BA Hons from South Bank Polytechnic University, London, in 1983.

McCarthy was born in 1960, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

Emma McClarkin

Emma McClarkin, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Conservative and Unionist Party, part of the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament (ECR). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, McClarkin sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Canada. She is a member of the Foreign Affairs Forum for the Conservative Party. She is also a member of the British Wildlife Trust. Before joining Parliament, McClarkin was Government Relations Executive for the Rugby Football Union from 2008 to 2009 and a director within her family business, Executive Energy. She was a political advisor to Roger Helmer MEP in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2008, and a press officer for the UK Conservative Party from 2002 to 2004. McClarkin became a legal clerk in 2001, having obtained a degree in Business Law from Bournemouth University in 2001. McClarkin was born in 1978, in Stroud, United Kingdom.

Mairead McGuinness

Mairead McGuinness, Ireland, is a member of the Irish Fine Gael Party (the United Ireland Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

McGuinness became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand. As a substitute, McGuinness sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. Before joining Parliament, McGuinness was Agriculture Editor for the Irish Independent from 1997. Before this, in 1993, she was a presenter and agriculture editor for RTÉ TV. She was an agricultural producer with LMFM, a local Irish radio station, in 1985, having previously been a news reporter with the Irish Farmers Journal. She has also worked as a radio researcher/producer and national broadcaster with RTÉ on shows such as the Late Late Show, Ear to the Ground and Celebrity Farm. McGuinness completed a diploma in Accounting and Finance in 1984, having graduated from University College Dublin with a degree in Agricultural Economics in 1980. McGuinness was born in 1959, in Drogheda, Ireland.

Anthea McIntyre

Anthea McIntyre, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Conservative and Unionist Party, part of the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament (ECR).

She joined the European Parliament in 2011 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), and is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, McIntyre was an active officer in the Conservative Party from branch to national level. In 1999, she helped lead the successful European campaign that saw the Conservatives win four seats in the West Midlands. From 1994 to 1997, she was Chair of the West Midlands Area Conservative Party Committee. From 1983 to 1985, she was Chairman of the Hereford Conservative Association. Prior to this, she was a member of the Hereford and Worcester County Council from 1977 to 1985. During this time, she was Vice-Chair of the Conservative Women’s Area Committee from 1982 to 1985, and Deputy Chairman of the National Young Conservatives from 1979 to 1981.

Aside from her career in politics, McIntyre is a director in MCP System Consultants, an independent consultancy specialising in business and intelligence systems. In 1997, she won the European Woman of Achievement Award for Business.

McIntyre was born in 1954, in London, England.

Gesine Meissner

Gesine Meissner, Germany, is a member of Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP – Free Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Meissner sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and the Committee on the Fisheries (PECH). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. She is a member of the bureau of the FDP and is Vice-Chairwoman of the German Liberal Women. Before joining Parliament, Meissner was a member of the Regional Parliament of Lower Saxony where she chaired the Committee on Health and Social Affairs from 2003 to 2009. She worked as a freelance communications trainer from 1993. Prior to this, she was active in adult education and was Deputy Director of the Rural Adult Education Lower Saxony Association from 1984 to 1993. In 1975, Meissner graduated as a management assistant for the Hotel industry in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, and worked until 1976 in a guesthouse in Munich. Meissner studied Nutritional Science and Home Economics, German and English, and Communication and Pedagogies, from 1976 to 1980 in Hanover and from 1971 to 1974 in Munich. Meissner was born in 1952, Uelzen, Lower Saxony, Germany.

Judith Merkies

Judith Merkies, the Netherlands, is a member of Partij van de Arbeid (PVDA – Labour Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Merkies sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. Before joining Parliament, Merkies worked as a project manager for the Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in the European Commission. From 2005 to 2006, she was an executive manager at the European Music Office, an international non-profit association bringing together professional organisations, associations and federations from the music sector within the European Union. From 2000 to 2004, she worked as a representative to all professionals and companies in the Dutch film industry. Merkies is an avid writer and has published articles in renowned Dutch newspapers, and in the English language on Euraktiv. Merkies completed her postgraduate studies in European and International Law at the Free University of Brussels. Before this, she worked for a short time as a lawyer, having previously completed a Law degree at the University of Amsterdam. Merkies was born in 1966, in London (Ontario), Canada.

Ana Miranda

Ana Miranda, Spain, is a member of Bloque Nacionalista Galego, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She is currently a Vice-President of the EFA Bureau.

Miranda joined the European Parliament in 2009, and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on the Fisheries (PECH), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee. Miranda is a member of the National Council of the BNG and responsible for the Migration Commission. She is also the spokeswoman of the BNG in the European Parliament in the frame of the Galeuscat coalition. From 1999 to 2004, she was assistant to the BNG MEP Camilo Nogueira. Miranda is also the author of various articles referring to the Galician diaspora and European and International Law. She has participated in both the Sao Paulo Forum and the World Social Forum of Portoalegre, and she has constant contact with Galician Centres all around the world as well as political parties and governments in Latin America. Miranda graduated with a degree in European and International Law from the Catholic University of Leuven. She obtained study grants from the German Council of Ministries and the Leonardo program.

Miranda was born in 1971, in Cuntis, Spain.

Elisabeth Morin-Chartier

Elisabeth Morin-Chartier, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and currently sits as a Vice-Chair on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Morin-Chartier sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is the holder of the National Order of Merit and the Legion of Honour, and is an Officer of Academic Palmes. Before joining Parliament, Morin-Chartier was a member of the French Economic and Social Council, and a municipal councillor in Poitiers from 2001 to 2007. Between 2002 and 2004, she was President of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council. She has been a member of the political bureau of the UMP since 2003, and was General Inspector of the National Education and Research Administration in 2001. Morin-Chartier also worked as Director-General of the National Centre for Long-Distance Learning near Poitiers, having previously been Deputy Director of the Regional Centre for Educational Documentation. Prior to this, Morin-Chartier worked as a History and Geography teacher for nearly fifteen years.

Morin-Chartier was born in 1947, in Ceaux-en-Couhé, France.

Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė

Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, Lithuania, is a member of Tėvynės Sąjunga- Lietuvos Krikščionys Demokratai (TS-LKD), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Morkūnaitė sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). Before joining Parliament, Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė was an adviser to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Vygaudas Ušackas, from 2008, and also worked as an adviser to several Homeland Union Members of Parliament between 2003 and 2008. She was President of the League of Conservatives from 2006 to 2007, and served on the board from 2003 to 2006. She joined the Homeland Union in 2001. Morkūnaitė studied at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, after graduating from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Drama, where she specialised in piano. Morkūnaitė was born in 1984, in Lietuvos, Lithuania.

Krisztina Morvai

Krisztina Morvai, Hungary, is a member of Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom, and is a Non-Attached member of the European Parliament (NI – Non-Inscrits). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the India. As a substitute, Morvai sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. Morvai remains a practicing Human Rights lawyer and an associate professor at the Budapest University. She has won a Red Cross ‘Freddie Mercury’ prize for promoting AIDS awareness.

Before joining Parliament, Morvai was a member of the United Nations Women’s Anti-Discrimination Committee from 2003 to 2006. She also worked for the European Commission of Human Rights. Between 1993 and 1994, Morvai taught Law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a Fulbright scholar. In 1989, she received a British Government scholarship for students in central Europe, before going on to study for a master’s in Advanced Law at King’s College London. She graduated from the Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest with a degree in Law.

Morvai was born in 1963, in Budapest, Hungary.

Maria Muñiz de Urquiza

Maria Muñiz de Urquiza, Spain, is a member of Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE – Spanish Socialist party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community. As a substitute, Muñiz de Urquiza sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. Before joining Parliament, Muñiz de Urquiza was a member of the board of the PSOE in Europe and an advisor in the Socialist Group in the European Parliament working on foreign affairs issues. Prior to this, she worked as an advisor to the Spanish Socialist Delegation. She was also an assistant professor on International Public Law at University Calos III, Spain, from 1989 to 1994. Muñiz de Urquiza completed a PhD in International Relations at Universidad Complutense, Madrid, in 1993, having previously undertaken a postgraduate degree in European Communities in 1987 and a degree in Political Sciences at Universidad Complutense in 1986. Muñiz de Urquiza was born in 1962, in Gijón, Spain.

Cristiana Muscardini

Cristiana Muscardini, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – The People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1989 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on International Trade (INTA). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iraq. As a substitute, Muscardini sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation to the Cariforum — EU Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. She received the Commander of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus and the Gold Medal for European Merit from the Luxembourg European Merit Foundation in 2005. She has been General Secretary of the Alliance for Europe of the Nations since 2001, and a member of the political executive of AN, responsible for the coordination of Community policies, since 1995. Before joining Parliament, Muscardini was a member of Milan City Council from 1980 to 1990 and a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 1983 to 1987. She was a member of the National Executive of the Italian Social Movement in 1972, and Chairwoman of FUAN (University National Action Front) in 1971. She has written for a number of newspapers and periodicals. Her publications include ‘La Convenzione europea,’ published in 2002, and ‘L’Europa in tasca,’ published in 1999. She graduated with a degree in Philosophy. Muscardini was born in 1948, in Cannobio, Italy.

Katarína Neveďalová

Katarína Neveďalová, Slovakia, is a member of SMER-Sociálna Demokracia (SMER-SD), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. As a substitute, Neveďalová sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. She has been Vice-President of the Young European Socialists since 2009 and of the Young Social Democrats since 2006. She is also Deputy International Secretary of SMER–SD. Before joining Parliament, Neveďalová was a member of the Council of European Young Socialists from 2006 to 2009. She was a founder and member of the Council of the Visegrad Youth Association from 2004 to 2007, and President for Fomes (the Forum for International Cooperation) from 2004 to 2007. She worked as a public meetings manager for the party in the 2006 Slovak Republic elections, having gained a degree in Political Science with a specialisation in European Studies from Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa in Nitra the same year. She undertook a six month long internship at the International Department of SMER–SD in 2005 and was a manager of a private company between 2002 and 2005. Neveďalová gained a degree from the Business Academy in Nitra in 2001. Neveďalová was born in 1982, in Nitra, Slovakia.

Nadezhda Neynsky

Nadezhda Neynsky, Bulgaria, is a member of Blue Coalition, part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Neynsky sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union. She has been Chairperson of Small and Medium Enterprises in Bulgaria since 2007, and Chair of the Institute for Democracy and Stability in South-East Europe since 2004.

Before joining Parliament, Neynsky was a member of the Bulgarian Parliament from 1994 to 2009. She was Deputy Speaker at the National Assembly of Bulgaria from 2008 to 2009, and was Chair of the Parliamentary Group of the United Democratic Forces from 2001 to 2005. She was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2001, and a member of the Bulgarian Delegation to the Council of Europe from 1994 to 1997. She was also Deputy Chair of the Union of Democratic Forces from 1994 to 1997. Prior to this, Neynsky was Chief of the Government Press Centre from 1991 to 1993, and Head of Foreign Relations in the Department of the Radical Democratic Party from 1990 to 1991. She was a translator of Spanish poetry and English literature from 1988, having worked as a freelance journalist from 1986 to 1988. She gained a master’s degree in Linguistics at St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia in 1985.

Neynsky was born in 1962, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Belgium, is a member of Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (VLD – Flemish Liberals and Democrats Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Neyts- Uyttebroeck sits on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, the Delegation for relations with Japan, and the Delegation to the Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Neyts-Uyttebroeck was VLD National Vice- Chairwoman from 1993. From 1982 to 1989, she was elected into various parliaments, both at regional and national levels. These include the Brussels Council, the Flemish Council and the House of Representatives. She was Chairwoman of the National Party in 1985 and a member of Brussels City Council in 1982. From 1966 to 1973, she worked as a French teacher. Neyts-Uyttebroeck completed a degree in Press and Communication Sciences in 1970, having previously gained a teaching qualification for secondary education and a degree in Romance Philology from the Free University in Brussels, in 1967. She is an officer and commander of the Order of Leopold and the recipient of the Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Neyts-Uyttebroeck was born in 1944, in Brussels, Belgium.

Norica Nicolai

Norica Nicolai, Romania, is a member of Partidul National Liberal, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

Norica Nicolai joined the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Petitions (PETI) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Nicolai is the recipient of the Knight of the National Order of Romania. Before joining the European Parliament, she was President of the Senate Committee on Legal Affairs in 2008. Prior to this, she was Vice-President of the Romanian Senate from 2007 to 2008, and Senator and Vice-President of the Committee on Defence Policy from 2000 to 2004. From 1997 to 2000, Nicolai was State Secretary for the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity. Nicolai was Vice-President of the National Liberal Party from 2007 to 2009. In 2003, she was also President of the Organisation of National Liberal Women.

Before beginning her career in politics, Nicolai was a lawyer from 1992 to 2007 and a prosecutor from 1983 to 1991. She graduated with a Law degree from the University of Bucharest in 1983, and completed her doctoral studies at the University of Wallachia. Nicolai was born in 1958, in Sinaia, Romania.

Angelika Niebler

Angelika Niebler, Germany, is a member of Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (CSU – Christian Social Union of Bavaria), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. She sits as a full member on the Conference of Delegation Chairs, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). As a substitute, Niebler sits on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa. She has been a member of the ZDF Television Board since 2000. She has also been a member of Ebersberg District Council since 1996. Before joining Parliament, Niebler was a member of the Upper Bavaria CSU district executive and Chairwoman of the Women’s Union of Upper Bavaria from 1999 onwards. She gained a doctorate in Law in 1992 after working as a lawyer in Munich from 1991. She obtained her Law degree in 1991. Niebler was born in 1963, in Munich, Germany.

Kristiina Ojuland

Kristiina Ojuland, Estonia, is a member of Eesti Reformierakond, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, Ojuland sits on the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. She has been awarded the Commander of the Legion of Honour in France, the Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique in Portugal, and the Order of the National Coat of Arms 5th class in Estonia. She has been Vice-President of the European Liberal Democratic and Reform Party (ELDR) since 2007. Before joining Parliament, Ojuland was First Vice-Speaker of the Riigikogu (the Estonian Parliament) from 2007 to 2009. She was Chair of the European Affairs Committee in the Riigikogu from 2004 to 2007, and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2005. She was a member of both the Riigikogu and the Foreign Affairs Committee from 1994 to 2002, and was Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 1996 to 2002. She also headed the Estonian Parliamentary Delegation to PACE. Between 1995 and 2002, she acted as Foreign Secretary of the Estonian Reform Party. Between 1993 and 1994, Ojuland was a member of the Permanent Representative of Estonia to the Council of Europe, and between 1992 and 1993, she was a member of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Between 1990 and 1992, she was a member of the Estonian Ministry of Justice. Ojuland attended special programmes at the Vienna School of International Studies in 1993 and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva in 1992. She graduated from the Estonian School of Diplomacy in Tallinn in 1992, having gained an LLB at the Law Faculty of the University of Tartu in 1990.

Ojuland was born in 1966, in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia.

Ria Oomen-Ruijten

Ria Oomen-Ruijten, the Netherlands, is a member of Christen Democratisch Appèl (CDA – Christian Democratic Appeal), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1989 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, Oomen- Ruijten sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

She is the holder of the Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. Before joining Parliament, Oomen-Ruijten was a member of the Lower House of Staten-Generaal, the Dutch Parliament (Second Chamber), and a member of the CDA Parliamentary Party Executive from 1981 to 1989. Before this, she was Chairwoman of Stiching Geschillencommissies (Disputes Settlement Committees Foundation). She was National Chairwoman of the CDA Youth Federation and was a member of the CDA Federation Administrative Committee in 1976. Oomen-Ruijten graduated with a higher vocational diploma as a PR Information/Communications Assistant.

Oomen-Ruijten was born in 1950, in Echt, the Netherlands.

Eva Ortiz Vilella

Eva Ortiz Vilella, Spain, is a member of Partido Popular (PP – Popular Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She joined the European Parliament in 2011 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Before joining the European Parliament, Ortiz Vilella was a member of the Valencian Community’s autonomous parliament. She was the spokesperson for the non-legislative permanent committee on European affairs; Secretary of the committee on agriculture, livestock and fisheries; member of the committee on the environment and member of the committee on the economy, budgets and finance. Ortiz Vilella has also served as councillor for town planning, heritage and communications, the First deputy mayor of Orihuela and councillor for civil works, employment, industry and housing, Orihuela town council. She has also been Coordinator of the People’s Party Group in the Valencian Federation of Towns and Provinces (FVMP). Ortiz Vilella graduated with a degree in Economics studies from the University of Alicante. Ortiz Vilella was born in 1975, in Orihuela, Spain.

Siiri Oviir

Siiri Oviir, Estonia, is a member of Eesti Keskerakond (Estonian Centre Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is also part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Oviir sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU- Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees. She was the founding member of the Executive of the Estonian Centre Party. She has been a member of the International Medical Parliamentarians Organisation (IMPO) since 2000, and is also a member of the Estonian Jurist’s Union. She has been Chairwoman of the Estonian Women’s Union since 1996 and is a member of the Zonta International Women’s Club in Tallinn. Oviir holds a Badge of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 5th Class, and a Medal of the Baltic Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Oviir was a docent (university professor) at Tallinn University of Education from 1992 to 2003. She was Chairwoman of the Centre Party’s parliamentary faction from 1996 to 1999, and President of the Estonian Anti-AIDS Association from 1993 to 1998. She was also Vice-Chairwoman of the Estonian Centre Party from 1994 to 1997. In 1995, Oviir became the Minister for Social Affairs, having been Chairwoman of the Social Affairs Committee in the Estonian Parliament from 1992 to 1995. She became a member of the Baltic Assembly in 1992. Oviir was Social Security Minister from 1990 to 1992, and an assistant to the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Estonia until 1990. Oviir graduated from Tartu State University with a degree in Law in 1975. Oviir was born in 1947, in Tallinn, Estonia.

Doris Pack

Doris Pack, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschland (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1989 and is currently Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She also sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs and is part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. As a substitute, Pack sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. She is President of the European Children and Youth Book Fair, Chair of the Franco-German Foundation for Cultural Cooperation, and President of Volkshochschule (a type of Open University). She is also a member of the ZDF Television Council and Vice-President of the ECF-Germany (European Cultural Foundation). Pack is the recipient of the Order of Zvonimir from Croatia, the Federal Order of Merit, the French International Order of Merit, the Etoile Civique and the Order of the Republic of Albania. Before joining Parliament, Pack was a member of the Bundestag (German Parliament) from 1985 to 1989 and from 1974 to 1983. She was also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and of the WEU Assembly (Western European Union) from 1985 to 1989 and from 1981 to 1983. From 1974 to 1976, Pack worked for the Saarland Ministry of Education. She was a member of Saarbrücken City Council and of Bübingen Council from 1967 to 1974. Pack worked as a primary school teacher from 1965 to 1974, after graduating from teaching college in 1965. Pack was born in 1942, in Schiffweiler Saar, Germany.

Chrysoula Paliadeli

Chrysoula Paliadeli, Greece, is a member of Panellinio Socialistiko Kinima (PASOK), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Israel. As a substitute, Paliadeli sits on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. She has been Director of the Aristotle University Excavations in Vergina since 2001 and a member of Deutsches Archäologisches Institut since 1995. Before joining Parliament, Paliadeli taught ancient Greek painting, architecture, sculpture and epigraphy at pre- and post-graduate level from 1984. From 1972 to 1983, she was a university assistant to the Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). Beyond her various activities as a university professor, archaeologist and excavator in Vergina, she has been involved in activities to promote culture and improve the quality of the educational system and the transmission of archaeological knowledge. She has supported training programmes for primary and secondary school teachers. She has also organised pilot programmes for primary and secondary school pupils about archaeology in education. Publications of hers addressing the broader public have appeared on several occasions in the daily press. Paliadeli completed a PhD in Archaeology in 1984, having gained a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology in 1971.

Paliadeli was born in 1947, in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Antigoni Papadopoulou

Antigoni Papadopoulou, Cyprus, is a member of Dimokratiko Komma (DIKO – Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Papadopoulou sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area Joint Parliamentary Committee. Papadopoulou has been Chair of the Women’s Organisation of the Cypriot Democratic Party since 1994. She is also a member of the Central Committee and of the Executive Bureau of the party.

Before joining Parliament, Papadopoulou was a member of the House of Representatives in Nicosia. She was Chairwoman of the House Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs from 2006 to 2009, and Deputy Chairwoman of the House Standing Committee on European Affairs from 2001 to 2006. She was Mayor of Morphou from 1996 to 2001 and a member of the Strovolos municipal council from 1991 to 1996. From 1978 to 2001, Papadopoulou worked as a quality control manager in the Cyprus Carlsberg Brewery, where she was responsible for the chemical and microbiological control of the company’s products. She completed a postgraduate degree in Gender Equality at the University of the Aegean, Greece, in 2009, having already achieved a postgraduate degree in Business Administration at the Mediterranean Institute of Management, Cyprus, in 1978 and a degree in Chemistry at the Russell Sage College, USA, and Lancaster University, UK, in 1977. Papadopoulou was born in 1954, in Morphou, Northern Cyprus.

Antonyia Parvanova

Antonyia Parvanova, Bulgaria, is a member of the National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSS), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She is Vice-Chair of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Canada and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Parvanova sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Delegation for relations with Iran. She is Vice-President of the Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development in the European Parliament (EPWG). She is also an honourable member of the Faculty of Public Health, Medical Academy Sofia, Bulgaria. Before joining Parliament, Parvanova was a member of the Bulgarian Parliament from 2001 to 2009. During this time, she was Vice-President of the Public Health Committee, a member of the Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Committee, a member of the European Affairs Committee, and a member of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee. She also acted as Chairperson of the Canada Delegation and Chairperson of the Netherlands Delegation. From 2000 to 2001, she was Senior House Officer at Barking and Havering Health Authority in London, UK, coordinating Public Health Projects at local community level, especially with migrants and minorities. From 1999 to 2001, Parvanova was a project manager at University College London, where she coordinated the Environment and Public Health Network in 21 European countries. Between 1998 and 2001, she was a medical doctor and research fellow at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, where she carried out research in the fields of public health and health policy in Central and Eastern European countries. Parvanova was born in 1962, in Dobritch, Bulgaria.

Maria do Céu Patrão Neves

Maria do Céu Patrão Neves, Portugal, is a member of Partido Social Democrata (PSD – Social Democratic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Patrão Neves became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Canada. As a substitute, Patrão Neves sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Patrão Neves was a professor in the Department of Ethics at the University of the Azores, and an expert in Portuguese bioethics and policies relating to the Azores. She also worked as an adviser to President Anibal Cavaco Silva. Patrão Neves has served on several committees on bioethics, including UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1995. She was the founder and coordinator of Polo Açores Centro de Estudos de Bioética, a bioethics study centre. Patrão Neves was born in 1959, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Marit Paulsen

Marit Paulsen, Sweden, is a member of Folkpartiet Liberalerna (FP – People’s Liberal Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iran. As a substitute, Paulsen sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

Before joining Parliament, Paulsen was Vice-President of the Liberal Party from 1999 to 2007. She was previously a member of the European Parliament, from 1999 to 2004, where she sat on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, and was part of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand. She joined the Liberal party in 1997. Paulsen was born in 1939, in Oslo, Norway.

Sirpa Pietikäinen

Sirpa Pietikäinen, Finland, is a member of Kansallinen Kokoomus (KOK), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2008 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, Pietikäinen sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU- Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. She currently teaches Negotiating Theory at the Helsinki University of Economics. Pietikäinen is also the President of the NGO Conflict Prevention Network, KATU, and is a board member of the One World International Foundation. She has been a member of the board of the International Institute for Democracy (IDEA) since 2006. Before joining Parliament, Pietikäinen was Chair of the Finnish United Nations Association from 1996 to 2007, and was Chairwoman of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) from 2000 to 2005. She was a member of the Finnish Parliament from 1983 to 2003, during which time she was Minister for the Environment from 1991 to 1995. Between 1981 and 1992, Pietikäinen served on Hämeenlinna town council and was a member of the Nordic Council between 1987 and 1991. She undertook postgraduate studies in Negotiation Theories at the Helsinki School of Economics, having completed a master’s degree in Business Studies at the Helsinki School of Economics in 1986. Pietikäinen was born in 1959, in Parikkala, Finland.

Anni Podimata

Anni Podimata, Greece, is a member of Panellinio Socialistiko Kinima (Panhellenic Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Podimata became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and is currently a Vice-President. She sits as a full member on the Parliament’s Bureau and on the Committee on Economic and Social Affairs (ECON). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, she is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China and the Delegation to the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

She is the recipient of the Hellenic-Turkish Friendship Award. Before joining Parliament, Podimata worked as Diplomatic Editor of To Vima newspaper in Athens from 1998 to 2007, and Exousia newspaper from 1995 to 1998. From 1990 to 1994, she was the Athens News Agency’s correspondent in Paris, as well as the correspondent for the Greek television channel ET 1. In 1989, she became part of the first team of journalists to staff the new municipal radio station for the city of Athens, having worked as a general political correspondent from 1985 to 1987. Podimata undertook a postgraduate scholarship at the ‘Journalistes en Europe’ school in Paris from 1989 to 1990, having previously graduated from the Department of French Language and Literature at the University of Athens.

Podimata was born in 1962, in Athens, Greece.

Phil Prendergast

Phil Prendergast, Ireland, is a member of the Labour Party, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Prendergast became a member of the European Parliament in 2011. She currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Prendergast served as a member of the Irish Senate (Seanad Éireann) from 2007 to 2011. During this time, she was Seanad spokesperson on Health, Art and Sports, and Social and Family Affairs. Before joining the Senate, she was a member of Clonmel Borough Council from 1994 to 2004, and South Tipperary County Council from 1999 to 2004. She joined the Labour Party in 2005 when she became Labour Party spokesperson on the Older Person. Before commencing her career in politics, Prendergast was a midwife at South Tipperary Hospital for more than twenty years, having received qualifications both as a general nurse and a midwife. Prendergast was born in 1959, in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl

Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschland (CDU-Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1989 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on International Trade (INTA). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community, the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Quisthoudt-Rowohl sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), as part of the Delegation to the Cariforum – EU Parliamentary Committee and as part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. Before joining Parliament, Quisthoudt-Rowohl was a member of the Federal Executive of CDU Germany and a member of the Regional Executive of CDU Lower Saxony. Quisthoudt-Rowohl was a lecturer at the University of Hildesheim from 1979 to 1989 and a scientific assistant at the University of Medicine in Hanover from 1974 to 1979. Quisthoudt-Rowohl is a qualified chemist and has a doctorate in Science. Quisthoudt-Rowohl was born in 1947, in Brussels, Belgium.

Sylvana Rapti

Sylvana Rapti, Greece, is a member of Panellinio Socialistiko Kinima, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Rapti sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), the Committee on Petitions (PETI), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries.

She has been a member of PASOK’s (Pan-Hellenic Social Movement) Political Bureau since 2006 and a member of the Board of PASOK’s Institute for Continuing Education since 2004. Rapti received the ‘Botsi’s Foundation for the Promotion of Journalism’ award for her research work on educational issues in 1998. Before joining Parliament, Rapti was a member of the Greek Parliament with PASOK for the ‘A’ District of Athens following her success in the 2007 and 2004 national elections. She worked as a journalist for the newspapers TA NEA and TO VIMA, covering education, from 1983 to 2004. She was Editor in Chief of the special publication ‘The Candidate’ for TA NEA, which was focused on Lyceum graduate students preparing for the Pan-Hellenic University Entrance Examinations. Between 1982 and 1990, she was a news presenter on the national TV channel ET2. From 1982 to 1986, Rapti was a municipal councillor for Athens. Rapti has published three study guides for Greek universities, in 1996, 1995 and 1994. Rapti completed a degree in Economics at the University of Athens in 1988. Rapti was born in 1958 in Kerkyra, the Island of Corfu, Greece.

Evelyn Regner

Evelyn Regner, Austria, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ – Social Democratic Party of Austria), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community. As a substitute, Regner sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Israel. Before joining Parliament, Regner worked for the Austrian Federation of Trade Unions and led the organisation’s office in Brussels from 1999 to 2009. She was also appointed to the Economic and Social Committee and to the Presidency of the Advisory Committee of Trade Unions at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Prior to this, she worked as a consultant advising on refugees at Amnesty International.

Regner has a degree in Law and has completed research fellowships at universities in Paris and Geneva.

Regner was born in 1966, in Wien, Austria.

Britta Reimers

Britta Reimers, Germany, is a member of Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

Before joining Parliament, Reimers worked in the agriculture industry after completing her studies in Agriculture at the University of Applied Sciences in Kiel, Rendsburg, in 1995. Since 1989, she has worked as a farmer for her family’s business in Lockstedt. Reimers was born in Itzehoe, Germany.

Teresa Riera Madurell

Teresa Riera Madurell, Spain, is a member of Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE – Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Riera Madurell sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees. Before joining Parliament, Riera Madurell was a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from 2000 to 2004. She was Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Union for Science, Technology and Business in 2002, and the Socialist Group spokesperson in the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee. She was also a member of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands and a member of the Island Council of Majorca from 1989 to 1996. She worked as a press secretary from 1988 to 1991 and was Director of the College of Management and IT from 1986 to 1990. In 1989, Riera Madurell was a research associate at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania. She was a professor at the University of the Balaeric Islands in 1988, having lectured there in the same year. She was an assistant professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) in 1983 and was a researcher at Berkeley University in California from 1981 to 1982. She worked as an assistant at UPC in 1974. Riera Madurell completed a doctorate in Computer Science at the University of País Vasco in 1981, having graduated from the University of Barcelona with a degree in Mathematics in 1974. Riera Madurell was born in 1950, in Barcelona, Spain.

Frédérique Ries

Frédérique Ries, Belgium, is a member of Mouvement Réformateur (MR – Belgian Liberal Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. She has been a member of the European Parliament since 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Delegation for relations with Israel, the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Ries sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). Ries was the Belgian Secretary of State for European and Foreign Affairs from February to June 2004. Before joining Parliament, Ries worked as a journalist for RTL-TV in Luxembourg from 1987 to 1998. She was also a producer and presenter for RTL-TV from 1984 to 1987. Between 1981 and 1984, Ries was Commercial Director of Radio FM56. Ries completed a degree in Journalism in 1981, having graduated from the University of Liège with a degree in Economics in 1979. Ries was born in 1959, in Balen, Belgium.

Michèle Rivasi

Michèle Rivasi, France, is a member of Europe Écologie, part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and as part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Rivasi sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Belarus. She has been Deputy Mayor of Valence since 2008. She is also a member of the Commission on National Defence and Armed Force, the Commission of Inquiry into Superphenix, as well as information commissions on local business. In addition, Rivasi is a member of the Honorary Board of the French Coalition for a Decade of Culture of Peace and Non-violence. Before joining Parliament, Rivasi was Vice-President of the General Council of the district of Drôme from 2008 to 2009. She was also Director of Greenpeace from 2003 to 2004. She was an elected representative for Drôme from 1997 to 2002, and a city councillor in Félines-sur-Rimandoule from 1995 to 2001. She founded the Research Commission and Independent Information on Radioactivity (CRIIRAD) in 1986 after the Chernobyl disaster, and she is also the co-founder of the Observatoire de vigilance et d’alerte écologique (Ovale). Rivasi is the author of several reports on the management of nuclear waste, Gulf War syndrome and product liability. She is an alumnus of Ecole Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-aux-Roses. Rivasi was born in 1953, in Montélimar, France.

Ulrike Rodust

Ulrike Rodust, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – German Social Democrat Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2008 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and the Committee on Fisheries (PECH). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and the Delegation to the Euro- Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. She has been Mayor of Holzdorf since May 2008 and Chairwoman of the Rendsburg-Eckernförde District Workers’ Welfare Association since 2006. Before joining Parliament, Rodust was the SPD Council Group Chairwoman in Holzdorf from 2003 to 2008, and the SPD Regional Assembly Group spokeswoman on European affairs from 2000 to 2005. Between 1999 and 2001, she was the SPD Regional Vice-Chairwoman in Schleswig-Holstein, and between 1995 and 1999, she was a Federal Party Council member. From 1987 to 1991, Rodust was a Federal Executive Member of the German Fish Restaurant Association. She was self-employed in the catering trade from 1979 to 1997. Rodust was born in 1949, in Quakenbrück, Germany.

Zuzana Roithová

Zuzana Roithová, Czech Republic, is a member of Křesťanská a Demokratická Unie – Československá Strana Lidová (KDU-âSL – Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People’s Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a Member of the EPP’s Bureau. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). As a substitute, Roithová sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Roithová was a senator from 1998 to 2004. She was Deputy Chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People’s Party from 2001 to 2003, and was Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health and Social Policy from 2000 to 2002. She was also Chairwoman of the International European Movement in the Czech Republic from 2000 to 2002. She became Minister for Health in 1998. In 1998, Roithová also gained an Executive Health Care Management Certificate from Wharton University, Pennsylvania and a Jubilee Medal from Charles University. She worked as Head of Prague Faculty Hospital from 1990 to 1998 and was Chairwoman of the Czech Association of Hospitals. From 1979 to 1992, she was a hospital doctor. Roithová gained a master’s in Business Administration from Sheffield Hallam University in 1997, having graduated in Medicine from Charles University, Prague, in 1978.

Roithová was born in 1953, in Prague, Czech Republic.

Carmen Romero López

Carmen Romero López, Spain, is a member of Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union and the Delegation to the Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Romero López sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Before joining the European Parliament, Romero López was a Socialist Member of Parliament for Cadiz until 2004, having being elected in the Spanish general election of 1989. During this time, she chaired the Mediterranean Circle, an organisation seeking to promote friendly relations between the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Romero López joined the PSOE in 1968, during the dictatorship of General Franco, when the party was illegal. She was affiliated with the teaching union, UGT, and was part of the Federal Executive Committee FETE-UGT between 1977 and 1987. At the XXI Congress of the PSOE, she participated actively in achieving a 25% share of representation for women. She graduated in Philosophy and Letters from the University of Seville. Romero López was born in 1946, in Seville, Spain.

Licia Ronzulli

Licia Ronzulli, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). As a substitute, Ronzulli sits on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. Before joining Parliament, Ronzulli was responsible for coordinating health professions within IRCCS (Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico – Italian Research Hospital) at the Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute of Milan from 2003 onwards. She was also a member of the Istituto San Donato Hospital Group and took part in volunteer activities through the organisation ONLUS (‘Smile Project in the World’). She graduated with a degree in Psychology. Ronzulli was born in 1975, in Milan, Italy.

Anna Rosbach

Anna Rosbach, Denmark, is a member of Løsgænger, which is part of the Group of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the European Parliament. Rosbach is a Member of the ECR Bureau.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). As a substitute, Rosbach sits on the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) and the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Assocation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Before joining Parliament, Rosbach was a member of the Regional Council for the Capital Region and Chairperson of Dansk Folkkeparti from 2005. From 2000, she worked as a political adviser to the Union for a Europe of Nations Group (UEN) in the European Parliament. Rosbach is a qualified engineer and has worked as a choir conductor and singing teacher. Rosbach was born in 1947, in Løsgænger, Denmark

Dagmar Roth-Behrendt

Dagmar Roth-Behrendt, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – Social Democratic Party of Germany), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1989 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Roth-Behrendt sits on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States.

Roth-Behrendt has been on the Parliament’s BSE Committee of Inquiry since 1997, which she has also chaired.

Before joining Parliament, Roth-Behrendt was a trained lawyer, employed in the chancellery of the Governing Mayor of Berlin. She sat her second State Law exam in 1979 having taken her first in 1977. Roth-Behrendt was born in 1953, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Heide Rühle

Heide Rühle, Germany, is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). As a substitute, Rühle sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with India.

She is currently a member of the German Association for Nature and Environmental Protection (BUND).

Before joining Parliament, Rühle was a political affairs officer in the Federal Executive of the Greens and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen from 1991 to 1998. She was Chairwoman of the Federal Executive from 1990 to 1991, and Chairwoman of the Greens in Baden-Wüttemberg from 1987 to 1990. Rühle was also a member of the board of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, a political non-profit organisation striving to promote democracy, civil society, equality and a healthy environment internationally. She studied Psychology at university in Tübingen.

Rühle was born in 1948, in Heilbornn, Germany.

Tokia Saïfi

Tokia Saïfi, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Saïfi sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. Before joining Parliament, Saïfi was the coordinator of a national movement in favour of an open minded secularism from 1987 to 1999. She was also the founding member of Espace Integration, a national movement for Civil Rights, from 1987 to 1999. She organised several humanitarian operations in support of the Middle East peace process from 1996 to 1998, and was an intermediary with the economic authorities in encouraging the creation of businesses from 1992 to 1998. Saïfi completed a master’s in 1986, having graduated from the Law faculty of Lille University in 1984.

Saïfi was born in 1959, in Hautmont, France.

Marie-Thérèse Sanchez-Schmid

Marie-Thérèse Sanchez-Schmid, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa. As a substitute, Sanchez- Schmid sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI), and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries, the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Sanchez-Schmid was an assistant to the Mayor of Perpignan, Jean-Paul Alduy. She also worked for a time as an English teacher. Sanchez-Schmid was born in 1957, in Perpignan, France.

Daciana Octavia Sârbu

Daciana Octavia Sârbu, Romania, is a member of Partidul Social Democrat (PSD – Social Democrat Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). As a substitute, Sârbu sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation for relations with India. Before joining Parliament, Sârbu attended the European Parliament with observer status from 2005. She was previously a member of the Romanian Parliament for the Arges Constituency from 2004, during which time she worked as State Secretary in the Department of Education Research and Youth. She acted as an advisor to the Romanian Prime Minister, having trained as a lawyer and worked in a law practice since 2001. She has a long history with the European Socialist Youth Movement, ECOSY (European Community Organisation of Socialist Youth).

Sârbu was born in 1977, in Arad, Romania.

Judith Sargentini

Judith Sargentini, the Netherlands, is a member of GroenLinks (GreenLeft), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

Sargentini became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Delegation for relations with South Africa. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and is a substitute member on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Sargentini was Chair of GroenLinks in Amsterdam City Council from 2006 to 2009, where she was spokesperson on work and income, youth policy and public order. From 2007, she worked as a consultant for the European alliance of development-cooperation organisations, having worked from 2003 to 2007 as a lobbyist at the Dutch Institute for South Africa. Sargentini was first elected to the Amsterdam municipal council in 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, she sat as a co-opted assistant on the municipal council. Sargentini has previously worked for various NGOs in the sphere of development cooperation. She worked as an international campaign coordinator for Fatal Transactions, a foundation that addresses issues surrounding the international trade in conflict diamonds and the financing of civil wars in Africa. Before this, from 2000 to 2001, she was International Coordinator of the European Network for Information and Action in Southern Africa. She graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a degree in History.

Sargentini was born in 1974, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Amalia Sartori

Amalia Sartori, Italy, is a member of Forza Italia (FI – Forward Italy), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the EPP’s Bureau.

Sartori became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and is currently Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. She sits as a full member on the Conference of Committee Chairs and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community. As a substitute, Sartori sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States.

Before joining Parliament, Sartori was Chair of the Regional Council from 1995 to 2000. She was Vice-Chairwoman of the Regional Executive of the Veneto from 1990 to 1993, and was a member of the Regional Executive of the Veneto with responsibility for roads and transport from 1985 to 1990. Between 1988 and 1989, Sartori was Chairwoman of the Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Piemonte inter-regional boards for the management of the Po River waterways system. She was Chairwoman of Venice international airport in 1986. Sartori worked as a teacher from 1971 to 1985, having graduated with a degree in Literature in 1971. Sartori was born in 1947, in Valdastico, Italy.

Vilja Savisaar

Vilja Savisaar, Estonia, is a member of Eesti Keskerakond (Kesk – Estonian Centre Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. As a substitute, Savisaar sits on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Estonian Olympic Committee since 2008, and President of the Estonian Volleyball Federation since 2007.

Before joining Parliament, Savisaar was a member of the city government of North Tallinn from 2005 to 2007, a member of the Estonian Riigikogu from 2003, and Deputy Minister of the city in 2002. She was an advisor in the Interior Ministry in 1995, an advisor to the Vice-Chairman of the Riigikogu from 1992 to 1994, and an advisor in the Ministry of the Prime Minister from 1990 to 1992. Savisaar also worked for Word Picture Editor Ltd between 1999 and 2002, and edited the newspaper ‘Seven Days’ from 1990 to 1994. She worked as a psychologist from 1988 to 1990. Savisaar gained a postgraduate diploma from the Institute of General and Molecular Pathology, University of Tartu, in 1988, having completed a degree in Psychology at the University of Tartu in 1985.

Savisaar was born in 1962, in Antsla, Estonia.

Marietje Schaake

Marietje Schaake, the Netherlands, is a member of Democraten 66 (D66 – Democrats 66), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Schaake sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on International Trade (INTA). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and the Delegation for relations with Iran.

She was awarded the Barney Karbank Memorial Award for outstanding leadership in Human Rights in 2007.

Before joining Parliament, Schaake was an independent adviser to the President of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Wade Henderson. She was also an advisor to the United States’ Ambassador in the Netherlands, Roland Arnall, from 2006 to 2008 in the areas of diversity, integration issues and Muslims in the West. She is the co-founder of Inovo Inc, an organisation offering advice to companies looking to invest in projects in Turkey. Between 2000 and 2004, Schaake worked for Select Rosenbaum, reporting on meetings of governments, businesses and organisations. Schaake also worked as a freelance consultant in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Dutch Film Festival, New York. She completed internships at the US House of Representatives (with the Lantos Fellowship) and the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. She has written, amongst other things, Soul Searching for a New Dutch Identity, published in 2006, and Camp Vught: Everyone is Invited! published in 2003. She gained an MA from the University of Amsterdam in American Studies and New Media in 2004, having previously completed a degree in Sociology at the University of Amsterdam in 1998. Schaake studied Liberal Arts at Wittenberg University, Ohio, USA, until 1997. Schaake was born in 1978, in Leiden, the Netherlands.

Christel Schaldemose

Christel Schaldemose, Denmark, is a member of Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2006 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), and is part of the Delegation for relations with Japan. As a substitute, Schaldemose sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), the Committee on Enviroment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States . Before joining Parliament, Schaldemose was a member of the Danish Government’s think-tank on local democracy from 2004 to 2005. Since 2005 she has also been a member of the Danish Board of Technology. From 1992 to 1994, she worked as a consultant for the Danish Workers’ Education Association, and became head of the secretariat of the Danish Adult Education Association in 2001. She has been a Parliamentary candidate for the Social Democratic Party several times since 1999. Schaldenmose also has a long history with the youth movement in her party. She gained a degree in History in 2002, having completed her school-leaving certificate in 1986. Schaldenmose was born in 1967, in Odense, Denmark.

Birgit Schnieber-Jastram

Birgit Schnieber-Jastram, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Development (DEVE). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Schnieber-Jastram sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

She has been Deputy National Chairwoman of the CDU in Hamburg since 1992. Before joining Parliament, Schnieber-Jastram was Senator for Social and Family Affairs from 2001 to 2008, and was Deputy Mayor of Hamburg from 2004 onwards. Between 1994 and 2001, she was a member of the German Bundestag, and was a spokesperson on social policy from 1998 to 2001. Schnieber-Jastram was in the Hamburg Parliament from 1986 to 1994, during which time she was Chairperson of Social Affairs from 1991 to 1994, and Deputy Chairwoman of the CDU Parliamentary Group from 1993 to 1994. From 1983 to 1994, she headed the Hamburg constituency office of the CDU Bundestag member, Volker Rühe. Schnieber-Jastram majored in Journalism in 1968. She worked for the Christlichen Presse-Akademie, and also worked in advertising and public relations agencies in Hamburg and Bonn. She completed her training at the National Trade and Higher Commercial School in Hamburg in 1966. Schnieber-Jastram was born in 1946, in Hamburg, Germany.

Elisabeth Schroedter

Elisabeth Schroedter, Germany, is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and is currently Vice- Chairwoman of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. She is also part of the Delegation for Relations with Belarus and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Schroedter sits on the Committee on Regional Development and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. She was the recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit with ribbon in 1972. Before joining Parliament, Schroedter was the federal spokeswoman for Grüne Liga (Green League), a network of Eastern-German ecological movements, from 1994 to 1997. She was also the spokeswoman for the ecology working party of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen from 1991 to 1994. Schroedter was a member of the Environmental Advisory Group of the Brandenburg Regional Government, and was a business director from 1992 to 1994. She was also a councillor for the Langerwisch district until 1993. From 1991 to 1993, Schroedter was an alternate member of the German Section Executive of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. She became a qualified educationist in 1992, having worked as an education officer in 1991. She was also an environmental advisor in the office of the Landrat in 1990. From 1989 to 1990, Schroedter was a member of Langerwisch District Round Table and member of the Potsdam District Round Table. She was a parish deaconess and a social welfare officer until 1986. She was also a medical laboratory assistant from 1978 to 1979.

Schroedter was born in 1959, in Dresden, Germany.

Olga Sehnalová

Olga Sehnalová, Czech Republic, is a member of Česká Strana Sociálně Demokratická (ČSSD – Czech Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Delegation for relations with Israel. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). As a substitute, Sehnalová sits on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China and the Delegation for relations with the Countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Before joining Parliament, Sehnalová was very active in local and regional politics from 1998 onwards. She was elected to her local assembly on several occasions, during which time she also worked as Deputy Mayor in the town of Kroměříž. She embarked on a medical career as a physician at the Department of Anaesthesiology, in Kroměříž Hospital, having graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University, Brno, in 1995. During her studies she spent two years as a trainee at the University of Utah’s Institute for Biomedical Engineering, in Salt Lake City, USA. Sehnalová was born in 1968, in Kroměříž, Czech Republic.

Joanna Senyszyn

Joanna Senyszyn, Poland, is a member of Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej-Unia Pracy (SLD-UP – Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. Senyszyn became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also a full member on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Senyszyn sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Senyszyn was Vice-President of the Democratic Left Alliance from 2005 to 2009. She was also a member of the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament, from 2001. Senyszyn is a Professor of Economics and holds the chair in market research at the University of Gdańsk. Here she also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration before being elected to the Sejm. Senyszyn was born in 1949, in Gdynia, Poland.

Debora Serracchiani

Debora Serracchiani, Italy, is a member of Partito Democratico (PD – Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Serracchiani became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Serracchiani sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Serracchiani was Secretary of the Democratic Party of Udine in 2008, having worked as an advisor in the Province of Udine from 2006 to 2008. Before this, from 1994, she worked as a lawyer. Serracchiani completed a degree in Law in 1994. Serracchiani was born in 1970, in Rome, Italy.

Nicole Sinclaire

Nicole Sinclaire, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), and is a Non-Attached member of the European Parliament (NI – Non-Inscrits).

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Petitions (PETI) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Sinclaire sits on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).

Before joining Parliament, Sinclaire was a political Adviser to Mike Nattrass MEP, and was UKIP Party Secretary. She was UKIP Head Office Manager from 1999 to 2001, and also a member of the UKIP Committee. Sinclaire was born in 1968, in London, England, United Kingdom.

Birgit Sippel

Birgit Sippel, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – German Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. As a substitute, Sippel sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iraq and the Delegation for relations with Canada.

She has been Chairperson of the Hochsauerlandkreis subdistrict since 2005, Vice-Chairman of the Western Wesphalia SPD since 2003, and a member of the Federal party council since 1996. Before joining Parliament, Sippel was a city council member in Arnsberg and sat on the Social, Planning, Economy and Employment Committees from 1994 to 2004. Prior to this, she headed the regional office of Helmut Kuhne MEP, based in Soest. She previously worked in a metal factory and joined the IG Metall union in 1983. She also joined the local administration as a staff representative. Sippel joined the SPD/OV Neheim-Husten in 1982, and was active in the local association and the AsF urban community. Sippel trained as a foreign correspondent after graduating from high school.

Sippel was born in 1960, in Bochum, Germany.

Joanna Katarzyna Skrzydlewska

Joanna Katarzyna Skrzydlewska, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Skrzydlewska became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Skrzydlewska sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. Before joining Parliament, Skrzydlewska was a member of the Polish Parliament, having been elected in 2005. Prior to this she studied at the Management Faculty of the University of Łódź.

Skrzydlewska was born in 1977, in Łódź, Poland.

Monika Smolková

Monika Smolková, Slovakia, is a member of SMER-Sociálna Demokracia (SMER- SD), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As a substitute, Smolková sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and is part of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Smolková was Mayor of the town of Košice from 2006 onwards, and a member of the Košice Municipal Council from 2002 to 2006. She also worked from 2002 to 2006 as Deputy Mayor of Košice. Between 1997 and 2002, Smolková was the co-owner and director of the travel agency, MULTI FORM, and between 1993 and 2002, she was an economist at the same organisation. Between 1983 and 1993, Smolková worked as a governess at an engineering school. Prior to this, between 1981 and 1983, she worked as an administrator. From 1975 to 1981, she was an accountant and administrator in the Staffing and Personnel Departments of Povodie Bodrogu a Hornádu.

Smolková was born in 1956, in Janovík, Slovakia.

Renate Sommer

Renate Sommer, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Sommer sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Sommer was a town councillor in Herne from 1994 to 1999. She was an academic assistant at Bonn University Department of Agriculture from 1996, and was also an agricultural policy officer at German Rural Youth Academy in Bonn. Sommer completed a doctorate in International Nutrition at Bonn University in 1996, having studied Agriculture in 1984. Sommer was born in 1958, in Bochum, Germany.

Alda Sousa

Alda Sousa, Portugal, is a member of Bloco de Esquerda, part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She joined the European Parliament in 2012 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iraq and the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union. As a substitute, Sousa sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Delegation for relations with Iran.

Before joining Parliament, Sousa was a replacement member of the Assembly of the Republic from February to July 2004. She has been a member of the Left Bloc National Bureau since 1999. Prior to beginning her career in politics, she was an Associate Professor at the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Oporto in 1999, having served as a lecturer in 1995 and an assistant in 1977. She graduated with a degree in mathematics in 1977, followed by a doctorate in biomedical sciences, majoring in genetics, which she completed in 1995. She achieved a post-doctoral teaching and research qualification in population biology in 2003. Sousa was born in 1953, in Porto, Portugal.

Jutta Steinruck

Jutta Steinruck, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – German Social Democrat Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. As a substitute, Steinruck sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG)and is part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

Since 2004, she has been Chairperson of the German Federation of Trade Unions in the South Palatinate region, Chairperson of the Employment Agency in Ludwigshafen, and Chairperson of the Training Committee of Industry and Commerce, Palatinate.

Before joining Parliament, Steinruck was a member of the State Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate from 2006 to 2009. During this time she was also a member of the Supervisory Board of Klinikum der Stadt Ludwigshafen and a member of the Land Rhineland-Palatinate SPD Association for Labour Affairs. From 2003 to 2006, Steinruck was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Technische Werke Ludwigshafen. As a volunteer, she was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Economic Development Association in the City of Ludwighafen from 1999 to 2006. Between 1991 and 2004, Steinruck worked at the personnel office of Bilfinger Berger AG in Mannheim, and between 1988 and 1991, she worked as Head of Education and Public Relations at PWA Waldhof GmbH in Mannheim. Prior to this Steinruck was a staff clerk at ABB AG in Mannheim. Steinruck has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Cooperative Education, Mannheim. Stenruck was born in 1962, in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Laurence J.A.J. Stassen

Laurence J.A.J. Stassen, the Netherlands, is a member of Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV – Party for Freedom), and is a Non-Attached member of the European Parliament (NI – Non-Inscrits).

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Stassen sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).

Before joining Parliament, Stassen was a freelance television presenter in Limburg from 1999 to 2008. Between 1991 and 1995, she worked for Nuth Brickworks Ltd. She graduated from the European University in Antwerp in 1991. Stassen was born in 1971, in Sittard, the Netherlands.

Catherine Stihler

Catherine Stihler, United Kingdom, is a member of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1999 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Stihler sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. She has been Editor of the Parliament Magazine since 2002. She is also a member of AMICUS, the Co-operative Party and the Fabian Society. Before joining Parliament, Stihler was a political researcher to Anne Begg MP, from 1997 to 1999. She became the Youth Representative for the National Executive Committee in 1995. She was also President of St Andrew’s University Student Union from 1994 to 1995. In 1993, Stihler was elected as the Youth Representative on the Scottish Executive Committee, a role which she pursued until 1995. She completed an M.Lit in International Security Studies in 1998, having graduated with a MA in Geography and International Relations from St Andrews University in 1996.

Stihler was born in 1973, in Bellshill, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Michèle Striffler

Michèle Striffler, France, is a member of Gauche Moderne (LGM – Modern Left), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Development (DEVE). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Striffler sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. Before joining Parliament, Striffler was deputy to the Mayor of Mulhouse, Jean- Marie Bockel. She is also a former medical delegate. Striffler was born in 1957, in Mulhouse, France.

Kay Swinburne

Kay Swinburne, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Conservative and Unionist Party, part of the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament (ECR). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegations for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Swinburne was a councillor in Hereford, serving as Chair of Health Scrutiny. She is the former Town Mayor for Ledbury, and the former Deputy Chair of North Herefordshire Conservative Association. Swinburne’s previous career was in international healthcare and finance, and she worked for Deutsche Bank until 1999. She holds a degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from King’s College London, and an MBA and PhD in Medical Research from the University of Surrey. Swinburne was born in 1967, in Aberystwyth, Wales, United Kingdom.

Rebecca Taylor

Rebecca Taylor, United Kingdom, is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), in the European Parliament.

Taylor joined the European Parliament in 2012 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI). As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). Before joining Parliament, Taylor was Account Director of the Healthcare team of Hanover Communications, London, from 2o11 to 2012. Prior to this, she was a senior researcher at the International Longevity Centre, London, from 2010 to 2011, and stakeholder relations manager of the NHS Commissioning Support for London from 2009 to 2010. Prior to this, she worked for many years in Belgium. She was a consultant for the Food, Health and Retail team of Fleishman-Hillard from 2006 to 2009, the External Communications Manager at the International Federation of Animal Health (IFAH and IFAH-Europe) from 2005 to 2006, and the Information and Communications Officer of the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union from 2002 to 2005. From 2000 to 2001, she was a web editor and journalist at IMS Health, and from 1998 to 2000, she was a public affairs assistant at Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association Europe. She has been a member of the Brussels and Europe Liberal Democrats for several years, having been a local party executive member from 2002 to 2005 and local party chair from 2006 to 2008. She has also been a local party executive member of the Liberal Democrats in Islington, London. Taylor graduated with a degree in Japanese and Management Studies from Leeds University in 1997. She received several master’s degrees in International Relations at the Brussels School of International Studies and the University of Kent in 2001, a master’s in Human Biology from the Open University, UK, in 2010, and most recently, a master’s in public health from King’s College London in 2012.

Taylor was born in 1975, in Todmorden, England, United Kingdom.

Alexandra Thein

Alexandra Thein, Germany, is a member of Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP – Free Democratic Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI). She is also part of the Delegations for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council; Iraq; Israel; and the Mashreq countries. As a substitute, Thein sits on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). Before joining Parliament, Thein was a notary from 2001, an independent from 1993 and a lawyer and deputy notary in Berlin from 1991. She trained for her second state examination in Law in Berlin and Paris from 1991 to 1998, having studied for her first state examination at the University of Saarland, the University of Geneva and the University of Fribourg from 1982 to 1988. Thein was born in 1963, in Bochum, Germany.

Eleni Theocharous

Eleni Theocharous, Cyprus, is a member of Dimokratikos Synagermos (DISY – Democratic Rally), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Cariforum — EU Parliamentary Committee. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Theocharous sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She is an associate professor of paediatric surgery at the Democritus University of Thrace and a visiting professor at the University of Cyprus. She is also the founder and honorary president of the international organisation ‘Doctors of the World,’ and the founding president of the non-profit foundation ‘Wind’, which specialises in environmental and medical projects and aid to developing countries. She has received many international awards for humanitarian action.

Before joining Parliament, Theocharous was a member of the House of Representatives in Cyprus, elected in 2006 and 2001. During this time, she represented Cyprus at all sessions of the OSCE in the 2001 to 2006 period. She participated in several OSCE missions to control the democratic process of member countries and to monitor elections in several states. Theocharous represented Cyprus in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly from 2003. Prior to embarking on a career in politics, Theocharous practised as a paediatric surgeon in many parts of the world, including Greece, the United Kingdom, France and Poland. She has published five poetry books and many other scientific and literary writings. Theocharous undertook postdoctoral studies in Boston, having completed a PhD in Philosophy at the Democritus University of Thrace. Prior to this, she undertook postgraduate studies in Paediatric Surgery, having graduated from the Medical Faculty of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki.

Theocharous was born in 1953, Amiantos, Cyprus. Isabelle Thomas

Isabelle Thomas, France, is a member of Parti Socialiste (PS – French Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She joined the European Parliament in 2012 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Fisheries (PECH) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and as part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. Thomas is currently Research Director at the National Fund for Scientific Research (N.F.S.R.), having held a permanent research position there since 1991. She is also Professor of the Department of Geography of the U.C.L in Louvain-la- Neuve. In 1989, she received the Philippe Avdalot prize in Regional Science. Thomas studied geography at the F.N.D.P and U.C.L where she also completed her PhD in 1984. Thomas was born in 1961, in Blanc-Mesnil, France.

Britta Thomsen

Britta Thomsen, Denmark, is a member of Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries. As a substitute, Thomsen sits on the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. Before joining Parliament, Thomsen was the director and owner of Facilitate (a consultancy), working with labour market issues at European level from 2001 to 2004. She worked for HK (Union of Commercial and Clerical Employees in Denmark) as a consultant, with responsibility for international projects and surveys in the tourism and service industries, from 1994 to 2000. She was also a consultant working with European projects within the area of education and human resource development from 1989 to 1994. From 1983 to 1989, Thomsen was a teacher and organiser of Adult Education. She has published a number of books, including The Necessary Immigration in 2009 and Women Breaking Boundaries in 2005. She has also had articles about Portugal published in various Danish magazines. Thomsen completed an MA in History at Århus University, Denmark, in 1984, having studied Portuguese and Spanish at the same university from 1980 to 1983. Prior to this, she studied Portuguese Language and Culture at the University of Lisbon from 1979 to 1980, after gaining a Scholarship at the Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1979. Thomsen was born in 1954, in Aalborg, Denmark.

Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein

Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein, Poland, is a member of Platforma Obywatelska (PO), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Israel and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Thun und Hohenstein sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. Before joining Parliament, Thun und Hohenstein was Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Poland from 2005 to 2009, having been Director of the board of the Robert Schumann Foundation in Warsaw from 1992 to 2005. Between 1981 and 1991, Thun und Hohenstein lived in Nepal and Germany, during which time she participated in various conferences in France and Germany which addressed the socio-political situation in Poland. She provided the Western media with information about the situation of the opposition and the Church in Poland and helped exiled activists of Solidarity (a Polish trade union). She also helped to organise humanitarian aid for Poland. She was a representative of Solidarity at its first meeting in Brussels in 1981 and also worked as a translator and reviewer for the Herder Verlag, a publishing house. Between 1976 and 1980, Thun und Hohenstein was active in democratic opposition movements in Kraków. She was spokeswoman for an offshoot of Solidarity in universities, and a close associate of KOR (the Workers’ Defense Committee). During the first pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland in 1979, she co- organised an independent press office. Thun und Hohenstein completed her degree in British Studies in 1979 at university in Kraków.

Thun und Hohenstein was born in 1954, in Kraków, Poland.

Marianne Thyssen

Marianne Thyssen, Belgium, is a member of Christen-Democratisch and Vlaams or Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (CD&V – Christian Democrats and Flemish Party or New Flemish Alliance), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the Bureau in the EPP Group.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 1991 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Thyssen sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. Before joining Parliament, Thyssen worked as a legal advisor. She also headed up a research department and was acting Secretary-General of UNIZO (an organisation for the self employed and small and medium-sized businesses). Prior to this, she was an assistant in the Faculty of Law at the Catholic University of Louvain and a legal assistant in the office of the Secretary of State for Health. Thyssen graduated with a degree in Law from the Catholic University of Louvain in 1979. Thyssen was born in 1956, in Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium.

Silvia Adriana Ticâu

Silvia Adriana Ticâu, Romania, is a member of Partidul Social Democrat (Social Democrat Party of Romania), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and is currently Vice- Chairwoman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with India. As a substitute, Ticâu sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries. Before joining Parliament, Ticâu was an observer in the European Parliament. She was also a member of the Romanian Senate from 2004 onwards, where she served as Minister of Communications and Information Technology. Ticâu has an impressive background in communications and information technology including several director-general level posts. She has a postgraduate degree in the Security of e-Government Systems and another in the Economic Benefits of Online Public Services. In 2001, she gained an MBA from the Open University Business School in the UK. Ticâu was born in 1970, in Galati, Romania.

Patrizia Toia

Patrizia Toia, Italy, is a member of Partito Democratico (PD – Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. Toia became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Toia sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries.

Before joining Parliament, Toia was Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Community Policies, and Minister for Relations with Parliament from 1996 to 2001. She was a Senator from 1996 to 2004, and a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies from 1995 to 1996. Toia was a member of the Regional Executive with responsibility for coordination of the budget from 1994 to 1995, coordination of health from 1990 to 1991, and for social services from 1989 to 1990. She was a member of Lombardy Regional Council from 1985 to 1995, and Municipal Councillor of Vanzago from 1975 to 1985. Prior to this, Toia was a member of the Democratic Party Constituent Body and a member of the Democratic Party Assembly. She also held a managerial post at the Executive Committee of the Lombardy Region. She was a member of the federal executive and was ‘La Margherita’ provincial party coordinator for Milan. Toia completed a master’s degree in Strategic Planning from Bocconi University, Milan, having previously graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University degli Studi, Milan.

Toia was born in 1950, in Pogliano Milanese, Italy.

Catherine Trautmann

Catherine Trautmann, France, is a member of Parti Socialiste (PS – Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Trautmann is the recipient of the Knight of the Legion of Honour and Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.

Before joining Parliament, Trautmann was Mayor of Strasbourg and Chairwoman of the City Council from 2000 to 2001. She was a member of the European Parliament for the first time from 1989 to 1997. She was also Mayor of Strasbourg and Chairwoman of the City Council from 1989 to 1997. From 1986 to 1988, Trautmann was a member of the National Assembly. She was a member of the Council of Europe from 1987 to 1988. Trautmann was born in 1951, in Strasbourg, France.

Helga Trüpel

Helga Trüpel, Germany, is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Alliance 90/The Greens), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (EFA) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. As a substitute, Trüpel is part of the Delegation for relations with Israel and the Delegation for relations with the United States. She has been a member of the Greens Bremen Regional Executive since 1987. Before joining Parliament, Trüpel was a member of the Cultural Policy Society from 1993 to 2004. She was Vice-President of Bremen Regional Assembly from 2003 to 2004, and founded Agentur Art (an agency connecting people from the field of art, politics and culture) in 2001. She was also a senator for Bremen City, specialising in culture and integration from 1991 to 1995. She completed her PhD in 1988.

Trüpel was born in 1958, in Moers, Germany.

Emilie Turunen

Emilie Turunen, Denmark, is a member of Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF – Socialist People’s Party), part of the Greens - European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament. She is a Vice-Chair of the Greens/EFA group.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As a substitute, Turunen sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and is a subsitute for the Delegation for relations with Iran.

She is Vice-Chair of the Greens or European Free Alliance. Before joining Parliament, Turunen was Chair of the Socialist People’s Party Youth and was on the Executive Board of the Socialist People’s Party between 2008 and 2009, having completed a degree in Social Sciences and Working Life Studies at Roskilde University in 2009. She was Project Coordinator for the Socialist People’s Party Youth on the ‘Get Organized’ project from 2007 to 2008, and a member of the Board of the Socialist People’s Party Youth from 2006 to 2007. Turunen was Coordinator of Genstart Danmark, an alliance of left-wing political youth organisations and youth trade organisations in 2006, and was Coordinator of the third Danish Social Forum from 2005 to 2006. Turunen was born in 1984, in Jægerspris, Denmark.

Niki Tzavela

Niki Tzavela, Greece, is a member of Laikos Orthodoxos Synagermos - G. Karatzaferis, part of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group (EFD) in the European Parliament. She is a Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the EFD.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and is currently Vice- Chairwoman of the Delegation for relations with the United States. She also sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Israel. As a substitute, Tzavela sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and is part of the Delegation to the EU- Turkey Joint Parliamentary Assembly; Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU- Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia; the Delegation for relations with Iran; the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China and the Delegation for relations with India. She has been an honorary member of the Arab International Women’s Forum since 2004. Before joining Parliament, Tzavela was a member of the board of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Boston from 1998 to 2009. During this time, she was Vice-Chair of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Organising Committee (OEOA). Between 1994 and 1998, she was an elected MP for New Democracy, and from 1989 to 1993, she was Head of the Greek Manpower Employment Organisation (OAED). Tzavela has been Vice-Chair of the Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Albanians of Greek Descent, Vice-Chair of the Intracom Company, and Vice-Chair of the Kokkalis Foundation. She was also International Development Adviser for the ANTENNA network.

Tzavela was born in 1947, in Lamia, Greece.

Marita Ulvskog

Marita Ulvskog, Sweden, is a member of Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna (Social Democratic Labour Party of Sweden), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Ulvskog sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iran. Before joining Parliament, Ulvskog was a Member of Parliament in Sweden, during which time she worked as Minister for Culture from 1996 to 2004, and as Minister for Public Administration from 1994 to 1996. Between 1993 and 1994, she was a member of the board for the English Newspaper Publishers Association and a member of the Commission on Press Subsidies. From 1990 to 1994, Ulvskog was Editor-in-Chief of the Dala-Demokraten, a Swedish Social Democratic newspaper, and from 1982 to 1986, she was Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Ingvar Carlsson. Around this time she was also a journalist at the Journal of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation. Between 1973 and 1978, Ulvskog worked as a journalist in radio, and for the daily press and specialist press. She completed her studies at the School of Journalism in Stockholm in 1973. Ulvskog was born in 1951, in Luleå, Sweden.

Inese Vaidere

Inese Vaidere, Latvia, is a member of Pilsoniskā Savienība (PS – Civic Union), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is a member of the EPP’s Bureau.

Vaidere became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. As a substitute, Vaidere sits on the Committee on International Trade (INTA), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. She has been a member of the board of the Civic Union party since 2008, and President of the Latvian Economic Development Fund since 1997.

Before joining Parliament, Vaidere was Chairwoman of the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (HELCOM) from 2002 to 2004. She was a member of Riga City Council between 2001 and 2002, during which time, in 2001, she was Vice-Chairwoman of the Council. Vaidere was an adviser to the President of Latvia from 1999 to 2000, and worked as Minister of the Environment of Latvia from 1998 to 1999. She was an adviser to the Prime Minister of Latvia from 1997 to 1998, and was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Latvia from 1996 to 1997.Vaidere was Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Labrīt magazine between 1993 and 1995, having gained a doctorate in Economics in 1992. She has held a number of posts at the University of Latvia, including lecturer and professor. She obtained her first degree in Economics in 1984. Vaidere was born in 1952, in Jelgavā, Latvia.

Adina-Ioana Vălean

Adina-Ioana Vălean, Romania, is a member of Partidul National Liberal (PNL – National Liberal Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee on Petitions (PETI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU- Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States.

Before joining Parliament, Vălean was an observer in the European Parliament. She became Vice-Chairwoman of the Prahova branch of the National Liberal Party in 2006 and worked as the secretary of the PNL Committee on business, environment and competition policy from 2002 to 2004. She was Secretary- General of the National Liberal Youth Organisation from 2000 to 2002. Vălean was a member of the Romanian Parliament in 2004, an NGO Director in 2001 and Director of the Ministry for Youth and Sports from 1997 to 1999. From 1990 to 1997, she worked as a teacher. Vălean gained a master’s in European Integration and Security Studies, having completed a first degree in Mathematics in 1990. Valean was born in 1968, in Tintea, Romania.

Kathleen Van Brempt

Kathleen Van Brempt, Belgium, is a member of Socialistische Partij.Anders (SP.A – Flemish Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Iran. As a substitute, Van Brempt sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. Before joining Parliament, Van Brempt was Flemish Minister for Mobility, Social Economy and Equal Opportunities from 2004 to 2009, and State Secretary for Employment and Welfare in the Workplace from 2003 to 2004. She was also a member of Antwerp Municipal Council from 2001. Between 2000 and 2003, Van Brempt was a member of the European Parliament, where she sat on the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy. Before this, from 1997 to 1999, she was Deputy Head of Cabinet to the Flemish Minister for Employment and Tourism, having worked as a researcher for the SP.A from 1995 to 1997. Between 1992 and 1995, Van Brempt worked as a researcher at the Research Institute for Employment and Training. She completed a master’s in Sociology at the Catholic University of Leuven in 1992. Van Brempt was born in 1969, in Wilrijk, Belgium.

Marie-Christine Vergiat

Marie-Christine Vergiat, France, is a member of Front de gauche pour changer d’Europe, part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union. As a substitute, Vergiat sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. She has been an activist in the Human Rights League since 1983.

Before joining Parliament, Vergiat worked as an agent at the French Ministry of Social Affairs from 1999. She was a technical counselor in the office of Martine Aubry from 1997 to 1999, having worked at the French National Assembly until 1997. Prior to this, she was in charge of the Mayor’s office in Chevigny-Saint- Sauveur, Dijon. In 1981, shortly after becoming a member of the French Socialist Party, she participated in the campaign of François Mitterrand, who was President of France until 1995. Vergiat studied at university in Dijon, where she gained a bachelor’s in Public Law and a master’s in the History of Law. Vergiat was born in 1956, in Roanne, France.

Bernadette Vergnaud

Bernadette Vergnaud, France, is a member of Parti Socialiste (PS – Socialist Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Vergnaud sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She has been the Departmental Secretary for Vienne with responsibility for Women’s Rights since 1997. Before joining Parliament, Vergnaud was Secretary of the Poitiers section of the Socialist Party from 1990 to 2003. She was an advisor in the national education administration from 1972 to 1975. She was also a Latin teacher in France from 1971 to 1972. Vergnaud completed a master’s degree in Latin languages and Latin-American languages in 1974, having graduated with a degree in Portuguese in 1973 and a degree in Spanish in 1972. Vergnaud was born in 1950, in Montluçon, France.

Sabine Verheyen

Sabine Verheyen, Germany, is a member of Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU – Christian Democratic Union of Germany), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with South Africa. As a substitute, Verheyen sits on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Iran. She has been a member of her local land executive since 2002, a member of Euregio Council since 1999, and a member of the Council of the City of Aaachen since 1994.

Before joining Parliament, Verheyen was Mayor of the City of Aachen from 1999 to 2009. She studied Architecture at the Fachhochschule (FH) Aachen from 1983 to 1988. Verheyen was born in 1964, in Aachen, Germany.

Dominique Vlasto

Dominique Vlasto, France, is a member of Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP – Union for a Popular Movement), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2000 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, and the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Vlasto sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

She is the Mayor of Marseilles’ representative on the World Water Council and is also a member of the administrative council of the Youth and Leisure Social Centre in Marseilles. Vlasto was awarded the Knight of the Order of Merit for her work in the Marseilles Community in 1995.

Before joining Parliament, Vlasto was a member of the Committee of Regions from 1998 to 1999. She was Deputy Mayor of Marseilles with responsibility for tourism, conferences and festivals, having had responsibility for building permits and land rights, until 1998. She was also Chairwoman of the Regional Association for Women and Families’ Activities and Information from 1986 to 1998. She was a district councillor in Marseilles from 1989 to 1995 and a member of Marseilles City Council from 1983 to 1989. Between 1975 and 1979, Vlasto worked for SOFRES, a French opinion poll organisation. She was also a management assistant in a small clothing company from 1965 to 1967. Vlasto was born in 1946, in Marseilles, France.

Renate Weber

Renate Weber, Romania, is a member of Partidul National Liberal (PNL – National Liberal Party), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2007 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Weber sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Weber was an advisor on constitutional and legislative matters to the President of Romania from 2004 to 2005. Between 2003 and 2004, she was a lecturer at the University of Bucharest, focusing on the protection of human rights in the context of international relations, and from 1997 to 2003, she was a lecturer at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies. There, she taught courses in International Human Rights Law, Constitutional Law, Minority Rights and Women’s Rights. In 2000, Weber was an ad hoc judge in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Between 1999 and 2000, she was Director of a special project called ‘The Status of Women’s Rights in Central/Eastern European Countries and the Newly Independent States,’ at the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in Vienna. Weber was Executive Director at the Centre for Human Rights in Bucharest from 1993 to 1998, having been a lawyer at the bar in Bucharest since 1979. She has published over fifty studies and articles on human rights, the rights of national minorities, constitutional law, the European Convention on Human Rights and fighting discrimination. She received a Law degree from the University of Bucharest in 1979.

Weber was born in 1955, in BotoSani, Romania.

Barbara Weiler

Barbara Weiler, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – Social Democratic Party of Germany), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 1994 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As a substitute, Weiler sits on the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula. Before joining Parliament, Weiler was a member of the Bundestag (the German National Parliament) between 1987 and 1994. She was a SPD organiser in the Fulda district from 1985 to 1987, and a councillor in Willich from 1971 to 1985. From 1965 to 1985, Weiler worked in various posts in different offices, including posts as a clerk, head secretary and company manager. She completed her school leaver’s certificate in 1963, having studied Languages at a college in the UK from 1965 to 1967. Weiler was born in 1946, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Anja Weisgerber

Anja Weisgerber, Germany, is a member of Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (CSU – Christian Social Union of Bavaria), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

Before joining Parliament, Weisgerber was a law officer at the District Court and Regional Assembly in Schweinfurt, at Dr. Haas Solicitors in Schweinfurt, and at PricewaterhouseCoopers, from 2001 to 2003. Weisgerber completed a doctorate in Law in 2001, having taken her State Law examinations in 2000. She was a district executive officer at Lower Franconia Junge Union from 1996 to 1999 and was also Chairwoman of Schwebheim Junge Union from 1997 to 1999. Between 1995 and 1997, Weisgerber was a member of the District Executive, Schweinfurt Junge Union. She founded Schwebheim Junge Union Association in 1997. She is a former Bavarian tennis champion. Weisgerber was born in 1976, in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Angelika Werthmann

Angelika Werthmann, Austria, is a member of Liste Dr. Martin – für Demokratie, Kontrolle, Gerechtigkeit, and is a Non-Attached member of the European Parliament (NI – Non-Inscrits). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia. As a substitute, she sits on the Committee on Petitions (PETI) and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. Werthmann holds a degree in Philology from the Paris-Lodron University, Salzburg, and has also undertaken advanced further education in Economics, Psychology, Management, Medicine, Sport and Tourism. Before being elected to the European Parliament, she worked as a Teacher and also as an Interpreter/Translator in the areas of Education, Business, Medicine and Tourism.

Werthmann was born in 1963, in Schwarzach, Austria.

Åsa Westlund

Åsa Westlund, Sweden, is a member of Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna (Social Democratic Party), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. As a substitute, Westlund sits on the Committee on Development (DEVE) and is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Westlund was Political Secretary of the Social Democratic Party Executive from 2003 to 2004, and was Chairwoman of the Social Democratic Students of Sweden from 2001 to 2003. She was also a coordinator for a women’s network and a member of the European Community Organisation of Socialist Youth’s (ECOSY) Executive in 2002. In 2001, Westlund was a policy expert at the Ministry of Education. She was a member of the Executive from 2000 to 2001 and was a co-opted member of the Social Democratic Party District Executive in Gothenberg from 1999 to 2001. Westlund studied Law from 1997 to 2001, and graduated with a master’s degree in Political Science from Gothenberg University in 2000. Westlund was born in 1976, in Anderstorp, Sweden.

Kerstin Westphal

Kerstin Westphal, Germany, is a member of Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD – Social Democratic Party of Germany), part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Westphal sits on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. Before joining Parliament, Westphal was a member of Emerald City Council, where she gained significant political experience. Prior to this, she worked from 2005 onwards at Haus Marienthal, an institution supporting children, youth and families. She was a full-time teacher in Eisingen until the birth of her daughter, having completed her teacher training in 1991. From 1984 to 1988, she worked part-time as a nanny.

Westphal was born in 1962, in Hamburg, Germany.

Cecilia Wikström

Cecilia Wikström, Sweden, is a member of Folkpartiet Liberalerna (FP), part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). As a subsitute, she is part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, and the Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU- Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia

She has been Executive Director, and owner, of Wikström Consulting LTD since 2001.

Before joining Parliament, Wikström was a member of the Swedish Parliament for the Liberal Party from 2002 to 2009, during which time she was Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on Cultural Affairs and a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Between 1999 and 2000, she was a senior consultant at Michael Berglund Chefsrekrytering. She has also held various positions in the Church of Sweden, such as Parish Pastor, Student Pastor, Pastor for Prisoners and Cathedral Canon of the Uppsala Cathedral. She has written and published several books and has carried out a variety of roles on national and regional boards, such as the Swedish Unesco Board, the Police County Board and the Liberal Women group in Uppsala County. Wikström gained a master’s in Theology from the Department of Theology at Uppsala University in 1993. Wikström was born in 1965, in Svanstein, Sweden.

Glenis Willmott

Glenis Willmott, United Kingdom, is a member of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, part of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2006 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Willmott sits on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (JURI) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. She is currently Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party. Before joining Parliament, Willmott was Senior Organiser of the GMB Trade Union from 1995 to 2006 and Secretary of the East Midlands Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Committee from 1990 to 2006. She was the GMB Trade Union’s political officer from 1990 to 2006. Willmott has served two terms as Chair of the Regional Labour Party, most recently from 2002 to 2004. She was a member of the TUC regional council from 1990 to 2004, and served as the GMB Trade Union organiser from 1992 to 1995. Between 1989 and 1993, she was a councillor with Nottinghamshire County Council, having been a parliamentary assistant to Alan Meale, MEP for Mansfield from 1987 to 1990. From 1969 to 1987, Willmott was a medical scientist with the National Health Service at King’s Mill and Mansfield Hospitals. She gained a HNC (Higher National Certificate) specialising in Haematology in 1984, having gained a first HNC in Science, specialising in Clinical Chemistry, in 1974. Willmott was born in 1951, in Horden, England, United Kingdom.

Sabine Wils

Sabine Wils, Germany, is a member of Die Linke (The Left), part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Wils sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). Before joining Parliament, Wils worked at an environmental agency in Hamburg from 2004, where she focused on urban development and the environment. She completed a degree in Chemistry in 1988, after working as a midwife in Hamburg. Wils was born in 1959, in Aachen, Germany.

Corien Wortmann-Kool

Corien Wortmann-Kool, the Netherlands, is a member of Christen Democratisch Appèl (CDA – the Christian Democratic Appeal), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She is Vice-Chair of the EPP. Wortmann-Kool became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and as part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. As a substitute, Wortmann-Kool sits on the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and is part of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU- Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Before joining Parliament, Wortmann-Kool was a member of the CDA Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2004. She was Deputy Director of Transport and Infrastructure at the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management from 2001 to 2004. She was also a coordinator and senior advisor at the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management from 1996 to 2001. Between 1994 and 1999, Wortmann-Kool was a member of the Zeist Municipal Council for the CDA. She was Vice-Chairwoman of the supervisory council of Zon en Schild Psychiatric Centre in Amersfoort from 1990 to 1999. Wortmann-Kool also held the position of Chairwoman of the Parents Association of the Comenius School in Zeist from 1993 to 1997. Between 1987 and 1996, she worked as a member of the management team of a retail company. She was also a member of the CDA administrative committee from 1987 to 1994, during which time she was a member of the European People’s Party political bureau in 1989. Wortmann-Kool completed a higher degree in Political Science at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1987, having graduated with a higher vocational diploma in Health Care and Nursing in 1981. Wortmann-Kool was born in 1959, in Oud Alblas, the Netherlands.

Marina Yannakoudakis

Marina Yannakoudakis, United Kingdom, is a member of the United Kingdom Conservative and Unionist Party, part of the Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament (ECR). She became a member of the European Parliament in 2009 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). She is also part of the Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee. As a substitute, Yannakoudakis sits on the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM) and is part of the Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. Yannakoudakis represents the Oakleigh ward on Barnet Council. Before joining Parliament, Yannakoudakis ran a successful pan-European travel company with her husband from 1984 to 2008, where she acted as the company’s financial director. During this time she was Deputy Chairperson of Chipping Barnet Conservative Association until 2008 and Chairperson of the Oakleigh Branch of the Conservative Party in 2002. She gained an MA in Education in 2002, a Diploma in Administrative Management in 1980, and a BSc from Brunel University in Government, Politics and Modern History in 1979. Whilst at Brunel University, Yannakoudakis was Chairperson of Communications on the Students Union Executive, and Chairperson of the Federation of Conservative students. Yannakoudakis was born in 1956, in London, England, United Kingdom.

Anna Záborská

Anna Záborská, Slovakia, is a member of Kresťanskodemokratické hnutie (HZPCS – Christian Democratic Party), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament. She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Committee on Development (DEVE), the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption, and Money Laundering (CRIM). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with Canada. As a substitute, Záborská sits on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament and the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Before joining Parliament, Záborská was an observer in the European Parliament from 2003 to 2004, and was a member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic from 1998 to 2004. She was also Chairwoman of the Health Care Committee and a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union from 1998 to 2004. Between 1993 and 2004, Záborská was Chair of the District Council of KDH (Christian Democratic Movement) in Prievidza, and was on the board of the KDH from 2001 to 2002. She was Vice-Chairwoman of KDH for foreign policy from 1999 to 2000. Záborská became a doctor of Otorhinolaryngology (ORL) after completing her paediatric ORL in 1993 and her postgraduate studies in ORL in 1978. She graduated from Comenius University in Bratislava with a degree in Medicine in 1972.

Záborská was born in 1948, in Zürich, Switzerland.

Iva Zanicchi

Iva Zanicchi, Italy, is a member of Il Popolo della Libertà (PdL – People of Freedom), part of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2008 and is currently Vice- Chair of the Committee on Development (DEVE). She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Zanicchi sits on the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and is part of the Delegation for relations with the United States. Before joining Parliament, Zanicchi was a popular singer, writer and television presenter. She released her autobiography, Polenta di Castagne, in 2001 and this was followed by two more novels. She hosted Ok il prezzo è giusto for thirteen years from 1987 to 2000, during which time she had her own chat show, called The Iva Show, from 1996 to 1997. She toured worldwide as a singer between 1984 and 1999, visiting South America, Japan, Australia, Korea, the United States and Europe. Zanicchi was the prize-winner at the San Remo Festival in 1974, 1969 and 1967, and she released many high-selling songs throughout the 1970s. In 1969 she represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest, where she came thirteenth. Her first hit was with the song Come ti Vorrei in 1964, which sold over 400,000 copies. She was a prize-winner at the Zurich International Music Festival in 1963, and appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York. She signed a deal with the record company Ri-Fi in the 1960s. Zanicchi obtained a diploma from the School of Music and Song (Maestro Bertani) in 1959.

Zanicchi was born in 1940, in Ligonchio, Italy.

Gabriele Zimmer

Gabriele Zimmer, Germany, is a member of Die Linke (The Left), part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She became a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and currently sits as a full member on the Conference of Presidents. She is also part of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Zimmer sits on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL).

Before joining Parliament, Zimmer was a member of Thuringia Regional Assembly from 1990 to 2004. She was PDS Party Chair from 2000 to 2003, and PDS Vice-Chair from 1996 to 2000. She was also appointed Chairwoman of the Thuringia Regional Assembly’s PDS Group from 1999 to 2000. Zimmer was Regional Chair of PDS Thuringia from 1990 to 1998, and Chairwoman of the Thuringia Regional Assembly’s Equal Opportunities Committee from 1990 to 1994. She was Editor and SED Party Management Assistant at Suhl motor vehicle and rifle factory from 1986 to 1989. She also worked at Suhl motor vehicle and rifle factory from 1977 to 1985. Zimmer graduated in Translation and Interpreting from the Karl Marx University in Leipzig in 1977.

Zimmer was born in 1955, in Berlin, Germany.

Inês Cristina Zuber

Inês Cristina Zuber, Portugal, is a member of Partido Comunista Português, part of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL) in the European Parliament.

She joined the European Parliament in 2011 and is currently Vice-Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America. She sits as a full member on the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and as part of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. As a substitute, Zuber sits on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the Committee on Culture and Education(CULT). She is also part of the Delegation for relations with the Mercosur countries. Zuber has been a member of the São Paulo Parish Assembly, Lisbon, since October 2009. Before joining Parliament, Zuber was a Member of the Executive Board of the Association of Scientific Research Fellows from 2009 to 2011. She was a scientific research grant-holder at CIES-IUL (the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, the University of Lisbon) from 2008 to 2011 and has been a research assistant at CIES-IUL since 2008. She was a member of the Portuguese Communist Party Central Committee from 2004 to 2008, before which she was a member of the national leadership of the JCP (Portuguese Communist Youth Movement) and of its Secretariat and Policy Committee until 2007. In 2003, she was also member of the Executive Board of the National Youth Council.

Zuber graduated with a degree in sociology and planning in 2005. Zuber was born in 1980, in Évora, Portugal.