Claude Desama obtained a PhD in philosophy and letters at the University of Liège, then he worked as a professor at Liège since 1984, he taught Economic and Social History and History of Europe; he was Director of the Research Institute on European Societies at the University of Liège.
He started his political career in Verviers in the Socialist Party. Between May 1988 and April 2001 he was member of the European Parliament. During that period, he was member of the Socialist Group, member and vice-chair of the Group of the Party of European Socialists, Chair of the Committee on Energy, Research and Technology, Chair of the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy, Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Hungary Joint Parliamentary Committee, President of the Conference of Delegation Chairs, member of the Committee on Energy, Research and Technology, member of the Delegation for relations with Hungary, member of the Committee on Budgets, member of the Committee on Budgetary Control, member of the Delegation to the EU-Hungary Joint Parliamentary Committee, member of the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy, member of the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy.