A Brief Biography.

Download Pierre Jonckheer's Curriculum Vitea: Curriculum professionnel.doc

Belgian economist and politician, member of the Belgian French-speaking Green party, Ecolo as well as the Green European Party

The early years

I was born May 5, 1951 in Namur, Belgium. I grew up in Wallonia and Brussels in a middle-class family. I studied Economics at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL). During these studies I rapidly became an activist in student movements linked to the " Third World" as well as the left radical political movement. In 1974, I graduated and became assistant professor in the department of Economics of the Catholic University of Louvain. I then worked closely with different NGOs and in 1982 spent 3 months in Sri Lanka where I discovered the dismal working conditions of the Tamils.

These different early experiences forged my political and social convictions. From 1984 to 1991, I worked as a researcher, for the European Social Observatory (OSE) then became its director. In 1986 I joined Ecolo, a party I believed could offer an alternative to society. That was the beginning of my political adventure.

National and European MP

I was first elected as first substitute on the European Election list of 1989. This was my first experience of a political campaign. I was then designated by Ecolo as provincial senator in 1991. Three years later, I led the Ecolo list for the Senate and was then directly elected. I became the President of the Green Group at the Senate as well as member of the European Affairs Committee.

I also participated in the Enquiry Committee of the Rwanda Genocide. My cooperation and involvement in the Committee of European Questions of the Federal Parliament enabled me to gather experience on European issues and develop a strong network within the different national parties.

In 1999, I was elected to the European Parliament. I became a member of the Economic and Monetary Committee and of the Internal Market Consumer Protection Committee. I was very involved in the debates on the Service Directive as well as on the European Constitutional Treaty.

Closing the gap between the Green National Parties and Europe.

It was my encounter with leftist unionists involved in international and European matters which enabled me to work on European matters. As I mentioned earlier, I then became a member of the European Affairs Committee in the Belgian Senate. This experience gradually convinced me that each national Green party could grow from the experience of its European counterparts. It has been, therefore, necessary to create meeting places and networks allowing exchanges between different Green European players, a role to which the EGP closely adheres and which I joined in 1988. During my years as a MEP, I played a role as Vice-President of the Green Group responsible for the relations with the EGP. In 2008, I co-founded the Green European Foundation and I am today its Co-President.  The foundation focuses on research, training and publications on Green European issues and organises working seminars as well as panel debates. I always insist on the trans-national dimension of the projects which are financed by the GEF.

Further Education Professor

Since 1973, I have been a professor in further education schools and universities. I am currently invited lecturer at the Catholic University of Louvain. (UCL/FOPES)