Chief Observer - Thijs Berman

Thijs Berman was born in Coevorden, Drenthe and grew up in Groningen. He is a Dutch politician and Member of the European Parliament since June 2004.

He is the Chairman of the EP Delegation for relations with Afghanistan.

He also sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. He is a substitute for the Committee on Regional Development and a member of the delegation to the EU–Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

Before turning to politics - since 1987 - he was a correspondent for various Dutch media and a radio and television presenter since 1995.

Education

Bachelor Degree in psychology from Utrecht University (1983)
Master’s Degree in Phychology from the University of Amsterdam (1987)

Former Chief Observer - Philippe Morillon
No longer a sitting member of the European Parliament

Philippe Morillon was born in 1935, in Casablanca, Morocco. He is a former French General and a former Member of the European Parliament. In July 2004, he was elected Chair of the Committee on Fisheries in the European Parliament.

Before turning to politics, he was an Army General, and commanded the United Nations Protection Forces in Bosnia (1992-1993). After Bosnia, Morillon commanded the Rapid Reaction Force, after which he retired with the rank of général de corps d'armée. He is a Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur.

Education

Graduate of Saint-Cyr Military College (1956)
École supérieure d' électricité, Supélec (1964)
Army Staff College (1974)

Career

• 1984-1986: Military expert, National Assembly
• 1988-1990: Member of the National Assembly Delegation for International Relations
• 1993: Adviser to the government, Ministry of Defence
• 1992-1993: Commander of the United Nations Protection Forces in Bosnia
• 1994-1996: Commander of the Rapid Reaction Force
• 2005: Member of European Parliament (MEP) observer on the EU Election Observation Mission to Afghanistan
• 2005: EU Chief Observer to the Constitutional Referendum of Congo
• 2006: Chief observer to the EU Election Observation Mission Presidential and Legislative Elections in Congo
• 2008: Former Vice Chairman of the MEP delegation for relations with Afghanistan
• 1999 – 2009: Member of the European Parliament