Jo Leinen
Jo Leinen has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1999. He was elected on the ticket of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD ) and is a representative within the Party of European Socialists (PES) group.
He was elected Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on 23 July 2004, having previously been substitutional Chair of the committee. He is also substitutional member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs.
Mr Leinen was member in the Committee of the Regions from 1995 to 1999 and in the Congress of the Regions and Communes of the Council of Europe. Currently, he is member of different organisations related to culture, social and sport. He is also Vice-President of EUROSOLAR e.V and member of the Steering Committee.
He was Minister of the Environment in the State of Saarland from 1985 to 1994 and then a Member of the Landtag of Saarland until 1999. He has been President of the Union of European Federalists since 1997. Since 2004 he is member of the Advisory Council of the Committee for a Democratic UN.
Jo As a member of the SPD, Mr Leinen has had various functions, beginning with Europe-Secretary of the youth section of the SPD from 1977 to 1979. He was also a member of the committee of environment of the SPD from 1981 to 1985 and a member of the state-directorate of the SPD Saar from 1985 to 1999. From 1996 until today, he has been a member of the Europe-Commission of the SPD.Mr Leinen obtained a law degree in Germany in 1972 and a Certificate of Advanced European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, in 1974.
