Jo Leinen


Joseph Leinen is a German politician who served as Member of the European Parliament from 1999 until 2019. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party, part of the Party of European Socialists.
He is well known for his environmental and foreign affairs activities, as well as for his support for a Federal Europe. He obtained a law degree in Germany in 1972 and a Certificate of Advanced European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, in 1974. Since 1977 he has worked as a lawyer.

Extraparliamentary tasks

Leinen became publicly known as a spokesman of the Anti-nuclear movement and the Peace movement, he was also active for the Bundesverband Bürgerinitiativen Umweltschutz. He received the nickname "container-Jo" during a demonstration, having climbed a container in order to coordinate protest actions by megaphone.
Because of his participation at a demonstration against the Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant, he was briefly charged with being "guide and headman" of a rioting 'mob', however the Federal Constitutional Court eventually dropped charges against him, ruling that there can not be a case of "guide and headman" during collective actions.

Party

Jo Leinen is a member of the SPD and had different functions:
From 1985 until 1999, Leinen was a Member of the Landtag of Saarland. He served as State Minister of the Environment in the government of Minister-President Oskar Lafontaine between 1985 and 1994.
From 1995, Leinen was also a substitute member of the Committee of the Regions, invariably standing in for Lafontaine. In 1999, he was also member of the municipal council of Püttlingen/Saar.

Member of the European Parliament

Leinen was elected Member of the European Parliament without interruption from 1999 until 2019. In parliament, he focused on environment, the development of the unification of the European Union and on foreign affairs. From 2004 he was the President of some key Committees and Delegations in the EP.
In 2015, Leinen was one of the Parliament’s two rapporteurs on a set of proposed changes to EU electoral law that sought to regularize a variety of different electoral systems across the EU.
In addition to his committee assignments, Leinen served on the European Parliament Intergroup on a European Constitution from 1999 until 2009.
In the negotiations to form a coalition government under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel following the 2017 federal elections, he was part of the working group on European policy, led by Peter Altmaier, Alexander Dobrindt and Achim Post.

EP Parliamentary activities, membership in Committees and in Delegations

Speeches in PlenaryReports - as rapporteurOpinions - as rapporteurMotions for resolutionsWritten declarationsParliamentary questions
5th Legislature
1999-2004		48504311
6th Legislature
2004-2009		831118521
7th Legislature
2009-2014		804514352
8th Legislature
2014-2019		531422418

PresidentVice-PresidentFull memberSubstitute Member
5th Legislature

1999-2002		Committee on
Constitutional Affairs		Committee on Budgets
5th Legislature

2002-2004		Committee on
Constitutional Affairs		Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defense Policy
6th Legislature 2004-2009Committee on
Constitutional Affairs		Committee on Foreign Affairs
7th Legislature

2009-2012		Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food SafetyCommittee on Foreign Affairs
7th Legislature

2012-2014		Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food SafetyCommittee on Foreign Affairs
8th Legislature
2014-2019		Committee on
Constitutional Affairs		Committee on Foreign Affairs

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

PresidentFull memberSubstitute Member
5th Legislature
1999-2004		Delegation to the EU-Romania
Joint Parliamentary Committee
6th Legislature

2004-2007		Delegation for relations with the
countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation 		Delegation to the ACP-EU
Joint Parliamentary Assembly
6th Legislature

2007-2009		Delegation for relations with the
countries of South Asia		Delegation to the ACP-EU
Joint Parliamentary Assembly

Delegation for relations with India
7th Legislature 2009-2014Delegation for relations with IndiaDelegation to the ACP-EU
Joint Parliamentary Assembly
8th Legislature
2014-2019		Delegation for relations with the
People's Republic of China		Delegation to the ACP-EU
Joint Parliamentary Assembly

Commitment to European ideal

Leinen was Chairman of the German section of the Young European Federalists from 1977 to 1979 and a member of its Federal Committee at European level, then chaired by Richard Corbett. He was European Secretary of the youth section of the SPD and Vice-President of the European Environment Bureau in Brussels from 1979 to 1984.
He was member in the Committee of the Regions from 1995 to 1999 and in the Congress of the Regions and Communes of the Council of Europe. Currently, he is member of different organisations of culture, social and sport; and also vice-president of EUROSOLAR e.V.
He was President of the UEF. He served as vice-president of the European Movement International from 2005 to 2011 until in November 2011 he was elected president of the organisation.

Other activities

Leinen has been President of the Union of European Federalists since 1997. In addition, he holds various other positions, including: