Véronique Arnault studied English literature and international relations in France (Institute of Political Studies in Paris and Université de Poitiers) and in the United Kingdom (Reading University). She starts her career in 1980 as desk officer in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, monitoring relations with Canada-Québec, Colombia, Venezuela, as well as the Ecuador Multilateral negotiations on Antarctica (mineral resources treaty). In 1983, she joins the Commission’s Task Force for Enlargement to Spain and Portugal in the DG for fisheries, where she is responsible for its external aspects. She becomes then in 1986 Desk officer in the External relations Unit of the DG for fisheries and contributes in this context to the negotiations of bilateral fisheries agreements with African countries (in particular Morocco and Mauritania) and Indian Ocean countries, as well as to the multilateral negotiations for EC membership in international fisheries organisations and FAO. In 1989, she joins the Commission’s DG for External Relations, first the Unit for relations with the US (1989-1991), then the Task Force for Enlargement (1992). She then enters the Unit ‘Analysis and Policy Planning’ (1992-1993), and becomes head of that Unit in 1996, a position she held until 1999. Between 1999 and 2008, she acts as Deputy Head of Cabinet (1999-2001) for David Byrne, Commissioner in charge of Health and Consumer Protection and as Head of the Unit ‘Policy analysis and development; relations with consumer organisations; international relations’ in the DG for health and consumer protection’ (2002-2008).