Karel Van Miert


Karel Van Miert is Former Vice-President of the European Commission, Competition Commissioner and Transport Commissioner.

Prof. Karel Van Miert was born in Oud-Turnhout (Belgium) in 1942. He obtained a degree in Diplomatic Sciences at the University of Gent, followed by a postgraduate course at the European University Centre of Nancy.

Prof. Van Miert’s early career is devoted to research and science. From 1968 to 1970 he worked for the National Scientific Research Fund. He was an assistant in International Law and a part-time lecturer on European Institutions at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

He has worked for several European Commissioners, in 1968 for Sicco Mansholt and in 1973 as a member of the Private Office of Henri Simonet, Vice-President of the European Commission.

Prof. Van Miert started his political career with the Belgian Socialist Party (BSP/PSB) as an International Secretary in 1976. A year later, he became Head of the Private Office of Willy Claes, Minister of Economic Affairs. He chaired the Socialist Party for an entire decade, from 1978 to 1988, and became Vice-Chairman of the Confederation of Socialist Parties of the European Commission in 1978. From 1986 to 1992, Prof. Van Miert was Vice-President of the Socialist International.

He has been a member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1985, followed by a membership of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. In 1989, Prof. Van Miert was responsible for transport, credit and investment and consumer policy as a member of the European Commission under Chairman Jacques Delors. In 1992, he also became in charge of environment (ad interim). As Vice-chairman, Prof. Van Miert was responsible for competition policy from 1993 till the end of 1999.

Prof. Van Miert served as President of Universiteit Nyenrode from April 2000 to April 2003.

Currently, Prof. Van Miert is a member of the Supervisory Boards of Royal Philips Electronics NV, RWE AG and Munich RE. He is a member of the Board of Anglo American plc, Agfa Gevaert, Solvay, Vivendi Universal and the Persgroep. He further is a member of the Advisory Board of Eli Lilly Holdings Ltd.

In 2003, Prof. Van Miert chaired the EU-High Level Group on The Trans-European Transport Networks.