In this interview, Christiaan Timmermans, former Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Legal Service, firstly reflects upon his arrival at the Commission and upon the nature of his engagement with European integration and European law. Through the prism of his career development, he consequently addresses parachutage, the rather minimal engagement of the government of the Netherlands with its Dutch officials at the European institutions and the functioning of the Legal Service under the leadership of Jean-Louis Dewost. Specific themes and people mentioned are: infringement proceedings; the Task force on the German reunification / integration of the former GDR led by Carlo Trojan; Jean-Paul Jacqué; the OLAF / UCLAF; the Santer Commission; Brasserie du Pêcheur; Macedonia; the EEA; the WTO; the Treaty of Maastricht on European Union; the Penelope draft for a European Constitution; François Lamoureux and Jörn Pipkorn.