Günter Verheugen
| Günter Verheugen | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry | |
|
In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010 |
|
| President | José Manuel Barroso |
| Preceded by |
Ján Figeľ Olli Rehn (Enterprise and Information Society) |
| Succeeded by | Antonio Tajani (Industry and Entrepreneurship) |
| European Commissioner for Enlargement | |
|
In office 13 September 1999 – 11 November 2004 Serving with Janez Potočnik |
|
| President | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Olli Rehn |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
28 April 1944 Bad Kreuznach, Germany |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party (1982–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Free Democratic Party (Before 1982) |
| Alma mater |
University of Cologne University of Bonn |
Günter Verheugen (born 28 April 1944) is a German politician who served as European Commissioner for Enlargement from 1999 to 2004 and then as European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry from 2004 to 2010. He was also one of five vice-presidents of the 27-member Barroso Commission (Barroso I). After his retirement he is now honorary Professor at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). Since 2015, has been leading the European integration work stream in the Agency for the Modernisation of Ukraine.
Born at Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Verheugen studied history, sociology and political science at the University of Cologne and at the University of Bonn. He was secretary general of the FDP (liberals) from 1978 to 1982. He left the FDP with many left-liberal party members in 1982, because the FDP left the government of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. In the same year he joined the SPD (social democrats).
In 1983 he became a member of the federal parliament. He was a member of the committee on foreign relations from 1983 to 1998. From 1994 to 1997 he was deputy chairman of the parliamentary group of the SPD. He served as minister of state in the department of foreign affairs from 1998 to 1999. In 1999 he left parliament and became EU commissioner for Enlargement of the European Union.
Verheugen first served in the European Commission as European Commissioner for Enlargement in the Prodi Commission, presiding over the accession of ten new member states in 2004. He continued in the following Barroso Commission as Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, also being promoted to one of the five vice presidents.
...
Wikipedia