Oral History
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Title:
Interview with Hay, Richard
Abstract:
In this interview Richard Hay speaks about the DG IX (Personnel and Administration) and his own portfolio. He addresses the organisation and size of DG IX, the development of the translation service, the introduction of computers and how informatics impacted upon the Commission’s work. Management improvement through training as well as the Berlaymont building are also addressed.
INT1039
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Title:
Interview with Hayes, Eric
Abstract:
During the interview Mr Hayes discussed the following topics:
- Deputy Head, then Head of Unit for relations with EFTA countries, DG1;
- Head of Delegation in Helsinki, setting up the Delegation;
- the great transformation of Europe with the fall of the Berlin wall and the Soviet empire, and the effects on the EFTA enlargement;
- the EEA process;
- the Finns as different from the rest of the Nordics
- neutrality: ‘the dog that didn’t bark’;
- Head of Unit for relations with North Ame
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Title:
Interview with Hänsch, Klaus
Abstract:
During the interview, Dr Hänsch discussed the following topics:
- his views on European integration over time;
- the impact of cooperation and co-decision procedures on relations between the European Parliament (EP) and the European Commission (EC);
- the Cooperation and conflict between EC and EP;
- their roles in EU external relations and German unification;
- the fragmentation of EC external influence by separate portfolios for commercial, foreign, development and security
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Abstract:
In this interview, Mr Henningsen discussed the following topics:
- his childhood, education, studies in theology and chemical engineering, specialisation in
petrochemical engineering, Stanford;
- his experience of environmental problems, job at nascent environmental ministry in
Denmark in 1972, work on energy and environment, first shelved, then important expertise
in the wake of the oil crisis, earliest instance of environmental policy integration, energy information
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
Au cours de l’entretien, Monsieur Hilbrecht a évoqué les sujets suivants:
- son parcours à la Commission: son entrée à la DG Énergie, son passage à la délégation de Washington, son retour à Bruxelles, à la DG Administration et Personnel puis à la DG Transports, et son retour à la DG Énergie;
- les négociations du projet Galileo;
- les aides d’États et la libéralisation aérienne: cas Air France, Alitalia, Ryanair, Olympic et Ibéria;
- les relations entre les DG Tra
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Title:
Interview with Houtman, Anne
Abstract:
Au cours de l’entretien, Anne Houtman a évoqué les sujets suivants:
- sa formation et son engagement européen;
- son travail à l’Office statistique;
- la DG Concurrence: visions et réflexion, relations avec le service juridique et les autres directions générales, langues de travail;
- l’application des règles de concurrence dans les services publics;
- la libéralisation des transports;
- les aides d’État (le règlement sur les procédures);
- les commissaires: Karel Van Miert et Leon Brit
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Abstract:
Au cours de l’entretien, Monsieur le Secrétaire général Alexander Italianer a évoqué les sujets suivants:
- les travaux dans le cadre du rapport Cecchini et de l’Union économique et monétaire;
- la préparation, les négociations et la mise en œuvre du traité de Maastricht;
- la réalisation de l’UEM avec le cabinet du commissaire Yves
- Thibault de Silguy;
- le choix du nom de la monnaie unique;
- l’Agenda 2000;
- son rôle par rapport au G7;
- les relations avec la Russie;
- sa
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
Au cours de l’entretien, Monsieur Jacquot a évoqué les sujets suivants:
- Jacques Delors et le monde agricole;
- Pascal Lamy;
- les commissaires en charge de l’agriculture;
- Guy Legras;
- la réforme de la PAC et le Livre vert de 1985;
- l’Uruguay Round;
- la réforme Mac Sharry;
- FEOGA: dépenses, contrôle financier;
- Georges Rencki, Sicco Mansholt;
- l’affaire de la vache folle: coût.
INT1046
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
During the interview, Mr Jansen discussed the following topics:
- his educational background;
- his employment history pre-Commission (e.g.: assistant for European affairs to Hallstein at CDU Bundestag parliamentary group; responsible for the Italian representation of the Adenauer Foundation in Rome 1981-83; Secretary General of the European People’s Party and of the European Union Christian Democrats 1983-94).
- his contacts with Jacques Santer;
- his recruitment into the
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
In this interview Robert Jarrett talks about his work in the audio-visual division of the European Commission, his involvement in the European Year of Cinema and Television and what this Year looked liked. He also speaks about funding for journalist training programmes in Eastern Europe that was set up by the European Commission after the fall of the Berlin Wall in order to foster independent journalism.
INT1048
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Abstract:
During the interview Mr Johnson discussed the following topics:
- Family background;
- World War II;
- education, languages, early career;
- interest in population control and environment, environmental work for Conservative Party;
- arrival at Commission (covered in earlier interview);
- Member of the European Parliament (1979-1984);
- special adviser 1984
- 1990: drafting the Environmental Action Programme, borrowing from other IOs, implementation deficit
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
During this interview, Mr Jones discussed the following topics:
- entering the European Commission;
- his role in the Task Force for Human Resources, Education and Training;
- the Erasmus programme;
- involving countries from former Communist Europe in the EU’s educational programmes;
- Jacques Delors’ attitude towards education and training;
- his relations with the Commissioners;
- the Commission’s relationship with Cedefop;
- the Action Jean Monnet;
- his relations with the European
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Abstract:
During the interview, Mr Jouanjean discussed the following issues:
- Uruguay Round;
- mutual recognition;
- non-tariff barriers;
- DG Agriculture;
- internal market;
- negotiating skills.
INT1051
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Title:
Interview with Keck, Jörn
Abstract:
In this interview, Mr Keck discussed the following issues:
- his activity inside the Tokyo delegation;
- the functioning of the Tokyo delegation;
- EU-Japan relations between 1986 and 2000;
- the organisation of DGI and the Japan division;
- his activity as director for sectoral commercial negotiations;
- the commercial negotiations in the textiles and automobile sectors;
- the impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall on his work;
- the European Commission’s industrial policy of the 1990s;
- the cr
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
Neville Keery talked mainly about:
- Spokesman’s Service under Delors;
- The production of the 1989 film on the Spokesman’s Service;
- Delors and the importance of the press;
- Santer and the Spokesman’s Service;
- DG X 1991-94;
- The ‘informatisation’ of EU institutional libraries;
- European citizenship.
INT1056
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Title:
Interview with Kinnock, Neil
Abstract:
Lord Kinnock, who was a member of both the Santer and Prodi Commissions, looks back at his time at the European Commission. He recalls the manner of his appointment, the degree to which he was familiar with the European institutions before arriving, his prior contacts with Jacques Delors, and the reasons why he chose transport as his first portfolio. Then discussion moves onto the Santer Commission, Jacques Santer’s weaknesses as a leader, and the end of that Commission. The final section then l
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
Abstract:
In this interview, Mr Krämer discussed the following topics:
- Childhood, “refugee“ from Pomerania, law studies, Franco
- German agreement, ENA, work as judge in Kiel, European experience as pupil due to Council of Europe’s school day prize 1957, learning languages;
- entering the Commission in 1972 in consumer protection, part of DG competition, environment and consumer protection service 1 January 1973, commitment to “diffuse interests”, European schools;
- movin
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
In this interview, Pieter Jan Kuijper, former member of the European Commission’s Legal Service mainly engaged with matters of international (trade) law, first reflects upon his arrival at the Commission via the concours and upon the nature of his engagement with European integration and European law. Consequently, the following topics are addressed:
- the competences of the EC/EU regarding trade policy (Common commercial policy)/ international investment;
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2017
Abstract:
In this interview, Ms Lalis discussed the following issues:
- her education and professional background;
- her first experience at the Commission;
- women in the Commission;
- the writing of the social chapter of Maastricht;
- her relations with Vasso Papandreou;
- the circumstances of her appointment to the cabinet of Ms Papandreou;
- the relations with Coreper I;
- the administrative impact of the 1995 enlargement;
- the end of the Cold War;
- Thatcher’s fall;
- her relations with h
...
Description Level:
Interview
Recording Date:
2016
This website requires Javascript to be Activated to work Correctly