| 1973-1979 | Research Assistant, Institute for Agricultural Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna |
| 1978 | Doctorate, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna |
| 1979-1984 | Executive Assistant, Provincial Chamber of Agriculture of Tyrol, Innsbruck |
| 1985-1989 | Director, Provincial Chamber of Agriculture of Tyrol, Innsbruck |
| 1989-1994 | Austrian Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Vienna |
| 1995-2004 | European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Brussels |
| 2005-2011 | Chairman, Ecosocial Forum Europe, Vienna |
| 2005-2015 | Chairman, RISE-Foundation, Brussels |
| 2014-2015 | Chairman of the Steering Committee of the EU scientific programme for Expo Milano 2015 |
| since 2012 | President, European Forum Alpbach, Vienna |
| since 2016 | President, Board of Trustees to the Austrian Institute of Advanced Studies (IHS), Vienna |
| | Hochschulen |
| 1996 | Universität Wien, Sponsion zum Mag. phil. (Grund- und Integrativwissenschaftliche Fakultät) |
| 1997 | Hochschule St.Gallen, Sponsion zum M.B.L. (Postgraduate) (Europäisches und internationales Wirtschaftsrecht) |
| 2013 | Donau-Universität Krems, Ehrenprofessor |
| | Berufliche und politische Funktionen (Auszug) |
| 1979-1981 | Politischer Referent der ÖVP |
| 1981-1995 | Leitender Angestellter im Banken- und Versicherungssektor |
| 1983-1990 | Abgeordneter zum Nationalrat |
| 1995-1999 | Generalsekretär der ÖVP |
| seit 1999 | Mitglied des Europäischen Parlaments |
| seit 2007 | Lektor, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Wien |
| | Europäisches Parlament |
| 1999-2004 | Präsidiumsmitglied und Schatzmeister der EVP-Fraktion |
| 2002-2004 | Wirtschaftssprecher der EVP-Fraktion |
| 2004-2011 | Vizepräsident und Schatzmeister der EVP-Fraktion |
| seit 2004 | Präsident der SME Intergroup |
| 2006-2009 | Obmann des ÖVP-Europaklubs |
| 2009-2013 | Präsident der Kangaroo Group |
| seit 2010 | Berichterstattung zu Basel III und die Überarbeitung der Richtlinien über Eigenkapitalanforderungen (CRD 4) |
| seit 2011 | Obmann des ÖVP-Europaklubs |
| 2012-2014 | Vizepräsident des Europäischen Parlaments |
| 1964-1972 | Studium der Rechtswissenschaften und Volkswirtschaftslehre |
| 1972 | Eintritt in die Wiener Arbeiterkammer, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Abteilung: v.a . Finanzwirtschaft und Umweltpolitik |
| 1976-1986 | Leiter der neugegründeten Abteilung für Kommunalpolitik; Beschäftigung insbes. mit Fragen der kommunalen Wirtschafts-, Gesundheits-, Wohnbaupolitik etc. |
| 1983-1988 | Mitglied des Wiener Landtages und Gemeinderates |
| 1986-1988 | Klubobmann der Sozialistischen Fraktion des Wiener Landtages und Gemeinderates |
| 1988-1991 | Amtsführender Stadtrat für Stadtentwicklung, Stadtplanung und Personal der Stadt Wien |
| 1991-1994 | Amtsführender Stadtrat für Stadtentwicklung, Stadtplanung und Verkehr der Stadt Wien |
| 1994-1996 | Amtsführender Stadtrat für Stadtentwicklung, Stadtplanung und Außenbeziehungen der Stadt Wien |
| seit 1996 | Abgeordneter zum Europäischen Parlament |
| 2012 | Fraktionsvorsitzender |
| Konferenz der Präsidenten |
| 2002 | Stellvertreter, Ausschuss für auswärtige Angelegenheiten |
| | Studies in law, including public international and European Community law at the Universities of Vienna, (Dr. iur., 1970), Free University of Brussels, Licence speciale en Droit Europeen, 1972, and Cambridge Downing College; completion of the academic stage of the United Kingdom Bar examination |
| 1970-1971 | Court practice, First Instance Civil Court, Vienna Central |
| 1974-1978 | Lecturer, law at the University of Birmingham |
| 1979-1992 | Law Department, London School of Economics and Political Science |
| 1984-1986 | Legal adviser, Secretariat of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) |
| 1990-1991 | Legal consultant, legal affairs division of the GATT Secretariat; Legal Adviser tor DCs and LDCs for the Technical cooperation and training division of the VVorld Trade Organisation |
| 1990-2005 | Visiting Professor, Department of International Law, Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium |
| 1992-2006 | Chair of International (Economic) Law and Organisations, University of Amsterdam |
| since 1996 | Academic Director, Training and Staff Development Programs and MA Course in International Law and International Relations for High Level Officials in the Ethiopian Government and Members of |
| | the Parliament of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia |
| 1998 | EC TACIS Project, Poland |
| 1999 | Multilateral Trade Policy Assistance Programme (MUTRAP) |
| 2000-2003 | Director of the Amsterdam Law School |
| 2006 | Chair of European Community- and EU Law, University of Vienna |
| | Visiting Professorships |
| | Visiting Professor at Universities, including: Bocconi, Milano; Tulane University, New Orleans (2005); University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA (2001); International Law Department, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P.R.China (2001&2004); Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris II, France (2004); Institut Universitaire des Hautes Études Internationales Genève (HEI), University of Geneva (2005); University of Bratislava School of Law |
| | Lectures and Summer schools all over the world, including School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at John Hopkins University Washington DC; Fordham University Law School, New York; University of Bologna; Eastern University of Law and Political Science, Shanghai; North-West University of Political Science and Law, Xi-an, P.R.China; South-West University of Politics and Law, Chongqing, P.R.China; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Alpbach Summer School on European Integration; Mohyla Academy, Kiev, Ukraine; Duke University Law School Campus, Geneva; University of Belgrade. |
| 1974 | Graduation, Law Faculty (Dr. Jur.), Innsbruck University |
| 1975 | MCL, SMU, Dallas, USA |
| 1975-1977 | Postgraduate studies, Diplomatische Akademie Wien (Diplomatic Academy Vienna) |
| 1977 | Joins the Austrian diplomatic service |
| 1979-1983 | Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations, New York |
| 1983-1984 | Head of the office, State Secretary for Economic Coordination in the Austrian Federal Chancellery |
| 1984-1986 | Secretary and later head of the office to the Federal Minister for Public Economy and Transport of Austria |
| 1986-1987 | Economic advisor to the Austrian Federal Minister of Finance |
| 1987-1991 | Minister at the Austrian Embassy, Tokyo |
| 1991-1999 | Director General for Economic Integration and Customs of the Federal Ministry of Finance, responsible for economic and monetary policy, international affairs, including the International Financial |
| | Institutions, European Integration, Customs and excise taxes |
| 1999-2003 | Ambassador of Austria to Japan |
| 2003-2007 | Ambassador of Austria to the People's Republic of China |
| 2007 -2010 | Permanent Representative of Austria to the European Union in Brussels |
| 2011 -2014 | Ambassador of the European Union to Japan |
