Reconciling EU interests and values: A new vision for global development

Stephan Auer is Director for Multilateral Relations and Global Issues with specific responsibilities for Multilateral Affairs, in particular the UN and the Council of Europe, Development Policy and Development cooperation, Global Issues and Counter-Terrorism, supporting the work of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the EEAS. He started his diplomatic career in the German Foreign Ministry in 1988. Further to assignments in London, Saudi-Arabia and Rome, he covered in the period 2010-2012 the position of Deputy Director General responsible for Globalisation, Energy and Climate Policy at the German Federal Foreign Office.

Elmar Brok has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1980, best known for his role as chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2007. Brok has held many leadership positions in German and European politics. As a member of the Convention on the Constitution for Europe and in the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Brok is widely credited with contributing crucially to the Constitution of the European Union. He is currently the President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF).

Fernando Frutuoso de Melo is a longstanding European Commission official, having worked many years in DG DEVCO, DG Human Resources and in DG Fisheries, before joining in 2004 the private office of Commissioner Olli Rehn, then responsible for enlargement. In 2006, he was appointed Director of the Commission’s General Secretariat responsible for relations with the European Parliament. In 2009, he joined the private office of President Barroso, as Deputy Head. In July 2013 he was appointed Director General of DG Development Cooperation – Europaid. He has a strong background in development policy, human resources/administration and inter-institutional relations, in particular with the European Parliament.

Simon Maxwell was Director of the UK-based Overseas Development Institute from 1997 until 2009. He is an economist who began his career working overseas, first in Kenya and India for the UNDP, and then in Bolivia for the UK Overseas Development Administration. Before joining ODI, Simon spent 16 years at the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University. He has written extensively on poverty, food security, agricultural development and aid, and his current research interests also include development policy, linking relief and development, global governance and bridging research and policy.

Linda McAvan has been the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Development since July 2014. She had previously served as a substitute member of this committee and has been active on a range of issues, including Fair Trade, women’s rights, girl’s education in developing countries and climate justice. She is a member of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and previously served as its Vice-President for 2 1/2 years. Her other previous roles in the European Parliament have included Vice-President of the Socialists & Democrats Group on climate change and environment issues, coordinator on the Environment and Public Health committee and rapporteur on key legislative proposals including the tobacco products directive and pharmaceutical legislation.

Jeroen Verheul is Ambassador-at-large for Aid and Trade and Head of the Dutch Ministry’s Task Force for the Global Partnership for Effective Development. He has many years of working experience at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with high level postings in development co-operation, Humanitarian Assistance, aid and trade in The Hague, France, Cameroon, Zambia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Yemen.