From July 12th to 15th, the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee Delegation of the European Parliament will visit Washington, DC. The delegates will meet with several members of Congress and participate in a dinner dicussion co-hosted by the Brookings Institution and the Heinrich Boell Foundation.
Sharon Bowles
Chairwoman of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
B.Sc. (Hons.), Chemical Physics with Mathematics (1974). Research into semiconductor materials and devices, Oxford University (1974-1977). Trained as a patent agent (1978-1981). Practising Patent and Trade Mark Attorney (since 1981).
In the Liberal Democrat Party: Secretary, Chilterns Region (1990-1995); Member of the Federal Executive and Federal Finance Committee (2000-2003); Co-Chair, International Relations Committee (since 2002). Vice-President, ELDR aisbl (since 2004). Vice-President, Liberal International (since 2005).
Arlene McCarthy
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
BA (Hons.) (1983). Studied at the Polytechnic of the South Bank, London, the Department of Political Science, Stuttgart University and the Faculty of Law, University of Clermont-Ferrand. Guest Research Fellow at the Institute for Transatlantic Foreign and Security Policy, Free University of Berlin (1986-1988). Ph.D. studies (University of Manchester). Worked with the Socialist Group in the European Parliament (1989-1992) and with Mr Ford, former Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party (1990-1992). Lecturer in politics, Institute for International Politics and Regional Studies, Free University of Berlin (1991-1992). Principal European Liaison Officer, Kirklees Metropolitan Council (until 1994).
Member of the European Parliament (since 1994).
Author of 'European Regional Development Strategies: Responses of Two Northern Regions', Local Government Policy Making, Vol.20, No 5, May 1994. Joint editor of 'Changing States' (1996) and author of chapter 'A Europe of the Regions: Building Economic and Social Cohesion in Britain and Europe'.
Astrid Lulling
Member of the Parliament's Bureau
Member of the EPP Bureau
Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Secondary school leaving cerfificate (1948). Studied political economy at the University of Saarbrücken (1953-1955).
Secretary and editor at the Lëtzebuerger Arbechter-Verband (1949-1963). Worked at the miners' and metalworkers' ECSC liaison office, Luxembourg (1950-1958).
Chair of Socialist Women, Parti Ouvrier Socialiste Luxembourgeois (Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party) (1963-1971). Member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) executive committee (1971-1982). Member of the national Christian-social women's committee (since 1984).
Union secretary, European Trade Union Secretariat in Brussels (1963-1971).
Member of Schifflange Municipal Council (1970-2000). Mayor of Schifflange (1970-1985).
Member of Parliament (1965-1989). Chair of the PSD parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies (1974-1979). Member of the Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies (1984-1988).
Member of the Consumers' Consultative Committee, European Commission (1974-1982). Member of the European Parliament (1965-1974 and since 1989).
Chair of CECIF (European Centre of the International Council of Women) (1989-1999).
President of the National Federation of Luxembourg Women (since 1990).
Commander of the Order of the Republic (Italy). Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Oak (Luxembourg). Knight of the Legion of Honour of the French Republic.
Elisa Ferreira
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
Graduate in economics (University of Oporto, 1977); M.A. and Ph.D. (University of Reading, UK, 1981 and 1985 respectively).
Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, University of Oporto (since 1977). Non-permanent member of the Catholic University (since 1986).
Assistant director, Northern Region Water Resources Management Project (1986-1987). Coordinator, Preparatory Studies for the Integrated Development Operation for the Vale do Ave (1989). Chairman, Executive Committee of the Integrated Development Operation, Vale do Ave (1990-1992). Vice-Chairman, Northern Region Coordination Commission (1989-1992). Executive Vice-President, Portuguese Enterprise Association (1992-1994).
Minister for the Environment (1995-1999); Minister for Planning (1999-2002).
Member of the Assembly of the Republic (2002-2004); Vice-Chair of the parliamentary party of the PS (2002-2003).
Member of the Administrative Board, National Statistical Institute (1989-1992). Author of various articles and essays published in Portugal and abroad.
Pascal Canfin
Group of the Greens/ European Free Alliance in the European Parliament
Graduate of the Bordeaux Institute of Political Studies (1997). MA in European Studies, University of Newcastle (1998).
Economic journalist with Alternatives économiques (2004-2009).
Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Green Party (Les Verts) (2005-2008).
Derk Jan Eppink
Member of the ECR Bureau
Group of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament
Degrees in Dutch State and Administrative Law, Free University of Amsterdam (1977-1981); European and International Law, University of Amsterdam (1981-1983).
Traineeship, European Commission (1984). MEP's assistant, European Parliament (1984-1987). Journalist, NRC/Handelsblad (foreign desk, political desk) (1987-1995). Political editor, De Standaard (1995-1999). Administrator in the offices of Mr Bolkestein, Member of the Commission (1999-2004) and Mr Kallas, Vice-President of the Commission (2004-2007). Reporter on the US presidential elections, New York (2007-2009).
Slavi Binev
Non-attached Member in the European Parliament
1984). Degree from Vasil Levski National Sports Academy, Sofia (1990). Doctoral studies, Institute of Psychology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2004-2009).
Coach of the Bulgarian national taekwondo team (1985); international taekwondo instructor (1988); senior coach at CSKA Sofia Sports Club (1991-1994). Main shareholder and chairman of the board of directors of 'ER System Holdings' plc (since 1994). Vice-president of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation (1996-2008). Chairman of the social assistance sub-committee of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (2003-2009). Member of the research committees of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) (since 2003); international taekwondo referee (since 2004); member of the executive committee of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (2006-2009).
Member of the European Parliament: member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs; substitute member of the Committee on Culture and Education (2007-2009). Member of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Member of the Sports Intergroup. Member of the Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast Intergroup (since 2007).
Archon of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (since 2006).
Multiple Bulgarian national taekwondo champion and winner of several international taekwondo competitions (1987-1992). Supreme taekwondo champion of the Balkans (1990). European taekwondo champion (Open Taekwondo Championships in Celje, Slovenia, 1992); 5th dan taekwondo (2004).