KLAUS HÄNSCH, MEP
Former President of the European Parliament

Date and place of birth and education

15 December 1938 in Sprottau (Silesia)

escape from Silesia (1945)

Highschool degree (Abitur) in Flensburg (1959); military service (1959/60); Studies in Political Science, History and Sociology at Cologne, Paris und Berlin Universities (1960-1965); Degree in Political Science (1965); Doctor of Philosophy (1969)

Since 1979 Member of the European Parliament, SPD

representing the regional area ('constituency'): Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Krefeld, district of Kleve, district of Mettmann, Mönchengladbach, Mülheim an der Ruhr, district of Neuss, Oberhausen, Remscheid, Solingen, Viersen, Wuppertal, district of Wesel.

1994 and 1999 front-runner in the European election campaign of the SPD

Present functions in the European Parliament

Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence

Deputy member of the Committee on constitutional affairs

Member of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand

Deputy member of the Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China

Previous functions in the European Parliament (among others)

1994-1997 President of the European Parliament

1989-1994 and 1997-2002 Vice-Chairman of the Group of European Socialists (PES)

1987-1989 Chairman of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with the United States

1981-1989 Coordinator for Foreign Affairs and Security of the PES-Group

1979 -1994 and again from 1997 onMember of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence (former Political Committee)

1984-1994 Member of the Committee on Institutional Affairs

Functions in the elaboration of the Treaty on a Constitution for Europe

2002-2003 Member of the Presidium of the Convention on the Future of Europe

2003-2004 Representative of the European Parliament in the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the Constitutional Treaty

Former professional occupations

1968-1970 Editor of "Dokumente" (Journal for international cooperation)

1968-1970 Adviser to the Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany
responsible for cultural affairs under the Franco-German Treaty

1970-1979 Press officer and expert adviser to the Minister of Science and Research of the "Land" North-Rhine/Westphalia

1976-1994 Lecturer at Duisburg University

Memberships and Honarary functions (among others)

Since 1964 Member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)

Since 1970 Member of the multi-service trade union Verdi

Since September 2005 Member of the Board of Governors of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) Paris/ Strasbourg

Since 1997 Member of the Board of Governors of the "Groupement d'Etudes et de Recherches Notre Europe", Paris

Since 2000 Member of the scientific Board of Directors of the Institute for Political Science, Berlin

1998-2000 Chairman of the group of mediators for the extension of the Frankfurt Airport

1997-2005 President of the Board of Governors and the General Council "des Centre d'Etudes Européennes de Strasbourg" (CEES).

Honours

Honorary Citizen of Szprotawa, Poland

Honorary doctor of the University of Loughborough, UK

Honorary doctor and visiting professor of the Academy of business of Poznan, PL

Honorary professor of the University of Duisburg, D

Publications

Numerous books and essays on politics and society in France, on German-French relations and on various issues related to the unification of Europe and the politics of the European Union.