Henning Christophersen (8 November 1939 – 31 December 2016) was a
Danish politician, a former Vice President of the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
(1985–1995), former leader of the Danish
liberal party ''
Venstre'' (1978–1984) and former member of the
European Convention Several bodies or treaties are known as European Convention.
Bodies of the European Union
* European Convention (1999–2000) which drafted the:
** ''Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union'' (2000 / 2009)
* Convention on the Future of ...
. Christophersen was one of the early architects of the Single Market and the Euro.
Life
Christophersen was born in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...
. He was Deputy Prime minister and
Finance Minister of Denmark
The Finance Minister of Denmark ( Danish ''Finansministeren'') is the head of the Ministry of Finance of Denmark,and a member of the Cabinet. As head of the ministry, the minister has responsibility for the ministry's tasks of administering the s ...
(1982–1984) and
Foreign Minister of Denmark (1978–1979).
During his time as Vice President of the European Commission for Budget and later for Economic & Financial Affairs, Christophersen decisively contributed to the preparations of the launch of the Euro and of the Economic & Monetary Union. Through his pioneering work on Transeuropean Networks, he also played a big role in the realization of the Internal Market.
In 1992, as EU commissioner, Christophersen together with 10 Baltic Ministers of Foreign Affairs founded the
Council of the Baltic Sea States
The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) is a regional intergovernmental organisation working on three priority areas: Regional Identity, Safe & Secure Region and Sustainable & Prosperous Region. These three priority areas aim to address ...
(CBSS) and the
EuroFaculty.
He was the Chairman of the
Energy Charter Conference 1998 until 2007.
He was Chairman and member of a number of Supervisory Boards of Directors, and a Partner of
Kreab, Brussels.
Christophersen died on 31 December 2016 in Brussels at the age of 77 after a short illness.
References
Sources
* Tom Matz (2004), ''Venstre ved du hvor du har '' ForlagsKompagniet : Nørhaven Book.
1939 births
2016 deaths
Danish Finance Ministers
Foreign ministers of Denmark
Danish European Commissioners
Members of the Folketing
Politicians from Copenhagen
European Commissioners 1985–1988
Leaders of Venstre (Denmark)
20th-century Danish politicians
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