Bernd Lange , born in 1955 in Varel/Friesland is married and has one grown-up daughter and one grown-up adopted son. Bernd Lange studied Politics and Protestant Theology in Göttingen and worked as a teacher at the secondary school in Burgdorf for 11 years. From 1994-2004 , Bernd Lange represented the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Lower Saxony as a Member of the European Parliament in Brussels. During this time, he was significantly involved in the introduction of the European Emission Control legislation. He was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. 1999 - 2004 Bernd Lange worked as the head of the "Economy, Environment and Europe"- department at the German Trade Union Federation in Lower Saxony. Since 2009 , Bernd Lange is again Member of the European Parliament. He is a full member of the INTA-Committee for International Trade and a substitute member in the ITRE- Committee for Industry, Research and Energy. He is also a member of the Delegation for Relations with South Africa and Co-Chairman of the Forum for the Automobile and Society in Brussels. SPD Bernd Lange became a member of the SPD in 1974 when he was a High School student. Five years later he entered the Trade Union. During his time at university, he was president of the Students' Assembly and chairman of the Students' Union Executive Committee. Among many positions within the SPD, he is chairman of the SPD Burgdorf since 1992 continuously. Memberships: Bernd Lange is a member of the Industrial Union of Metalworkers in Germany (IG Metall), the German Workers' Welfare Organisation (AWO), the Europa-Union, the Auto Club Europa (ACE), the German Life Saving Association (DLRG), the Association for Transport and Beautification Burgdorf (VVV Burgdorf) and the Forum for Politics and Culture in Hannover. .