David O'Sullivan (civil servant)
Encyclopedia
David O'Sullivan is the Chief Operating Officer of the European Union
's diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service
, since 2010. He was the Secretary-General of the European Commission
between June 2000 and November 2005.
, French
, Spanish
, German
and Japanese
.
He was born in the Republic of Ireland
, studying Economics and Sociology at Trinity College Dublin. He graduated in 1975, then going to study at College of Europe
in Bruges
a year later, where he earned a postgraduate Certificate of Advanced European Studies
. He then worked at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs until 1979 when he entered the European Commission
.
he was chief of the President's cabinet, then becoming Secretary-General a year later, taking over from David Williamson
.
He was replaced by Catherine Day at the start of the Barroso Commission
, then becoming Director General for Trade
. Under the second Barroso Commission, in October 2010, he was nominated as Chief Operating Officer of the European External Action Service
(EEAS). In the run up to the inauguration of the EEAS in December of that year he was made director-general of the Directorate-General for External Relations
as that was being merged into the EEAS.
He is a Vice-President of the College Historical Society (Trinity College, Dublin)
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service
European External Action Service
The European External Action Service is a European Union department that was established following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009...
, since 2010. He was the Secretary-General of the European Commission
Secretary-General of the European Commission
The Secretary-General of the European Commission is the senior civil servant of the European Commission. The Secretary-General, who is responsible to the President of the European Commission, is in charge of the various Directorates-General, headed by Directors-General.His/her personal staff form...
between June 2000 and November 2005.
Early and personal life
He was born in 1953, in Ireland, and is married with two children. He speaks EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
He was born in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, studying Economics and Sociology at Trinity College Dublin. He graduated in 1975, then going to study at College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
a year later, where he earned a postgraduate Certificate of Advanced European Studies
Certificate of Advanced European Studies
The Certificate of Advanced European Studies is a postgraduate qualification, equivalent to a master's degree, that was awarded by the College of Europe, a postgraduate elite school in Bruges, Belgium, from its foundation in 1949 until the late 1980s, upon completion of its 1-year programme...
. He then worked at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs until 1979 when he entered the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
European Commission
In the Commission, he served as;- Member of the Directorate General for External RelationsDirectorate-General for External Relations (European Commission)The Directorate-General for the External Relations was a Directorate-General of the European Commission, responsible for the external policy...
. (1979) - First Secretary in the Delegation of the Commission in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. (1981) - Member for social affairs and relations with the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in the cabinet of Commissioner Commissioner SutherlandPeter SutherlandPeter Denis Sutherland, KCMG is an Irish international businessman and former Attorney General of Ireland, associated with the Fine Gael party . He is a barrister by profession, and is also Senior Counsel at the Irish Bar...
. (1985) - Head of task force for Human Resources, Education, Youth and Training. (1989)
- Member for employment policy, the social dialogue and labour law in the cabinet of Commissioner Commissioner FlynnPadraig FlynnPádraig "Pee" Flynn is a former Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála in 1977. He was returned at each subsequent election until 1993...
. (1993) - Deputy head in the cabinet of Commissioner Commissioner FlynnPadraig FlynnPádraig "Pee" Flynn is a former Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála in 1977. He was returned at each subsequent election until 1993...
. (1994) - Director-General for policy coordination and the European Social FundEuropean Social FundThe European Social Fund is the European Union’s main financial instrument for supporting employment in the Member States as well as promoting economic and social cohesion. ESF spending amounts to around 10% of the EU’s total budget....
. (1996) - Director-General for the management of resources. (1998)
- Director-General for Education, Training and Youth. (1999)
Post 1999
At the start of the Prodi CommissionProdi Commission
The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.-History:...
he was chief of the President's cabinet, then becoming Secretary-General a year later, taking over from David Williamson
David Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton
David Francis Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton GCMG, CB, PC was a senior British and European civil servant and is an active member of the House of Lords....
.
He was replaced by Catherine Day at the start of the Barroso Commission
Barroso Commission
The Barroso Commission is the European Commission that has been in office since 22 November 2004 and is due to serve until 2014. Its president is José Manuel Barroso, who presides over 26 other commissioners...
, then becoming Director General for Trade
Directorate-General for Trade (European Commission)
The Directorate-General for Trade is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. DG Trade works on securing prosperity, solidarity and security in Europe and around the globe...
. Under the second Barroso Commission, in October 2010, he was nominated as Chief Operating Officer of the European External Action Service
European External Action Service
The European External Action Service is a European Union department that was established following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009...
(EEAS). In the run up to the inauguration of the EEAS in December of that year he was made director-general of the Directorate-General for External Relations
Directorate-General for External Relations (European Commission)
The Directorate-General for the External Relations was a Directorate-General of the European Commission, responsible for the external policy...
as that was being merged into the EEAS.
He is a Vice-President of the College Historical Society (Trinity College, Dublin)
College Historical Society (Trinity College, Dublin)
The College Historical Society is one of two main debating societies at Trinity College, Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. It was established within the college in 1770, but traces its origins to the society founded by the philosopher Edmund Burke in Dublin in 1747...