Jean-Luc Dehaene is the Vice Chairman of the European Convention. The task of the Convention is to pave the way for the next EU Intergovernmental Conference as broadly and openly as possible. It will consider the key issues arising for the Union's future development.

As a most respected politician, Mr Dehaene has a reputation as an excellent negotiator and strong political leader. In his presentations he addresses important questions concerning the expansion of the EU and he advises audiences on what the future holds for existing businesses within Europe and for companies wishing to expand into Europe.

Jean-Luc Dehaene was born in Montpellier on 7 August 1940. He gained his degrees in law and economics at the Universities of Namur and Leuven. After university, he worked for the study department of the A.C.W., amongst other places. He started his political career in 1967 with C.V.P. Jongeren.

From 1971, he successively held the position of employee and advisor to a number of Ministerial Cabinets, and then worked as a Head of Cabinet for several different Ministers (amongst others, for the Prime Minister, Wilfried Martens). He first held a ministerial post in 1981.

From 1981 to 1988, he was Minister for Social Affairs and Institutional Reform. From 1988 to 1992, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Traffic and Transport and Institutional Reform. Finally, as Prime Minister, he led two governments from 1992 to 1995 and subsequently from 1995 to July 1999.

Mr Dehaene is seen as the architect of state reform. He led Belgium into the Euro economy and reorganised the government finances. On 2 February 2000, he was granted an honorary doctorate by the Catholic University of Leuven, which he had also already received from UCL in 1994.

A pragmatic speaker, Mr Dehaene uses his insight into the complexities of the expanding European Union to give valuable lessons to decision makers from all fields.