Prof. Jerzy Buzek, Member of the European Parliament.

Jerzy Buzek, born on 3 July 1940 in Śmiłowice (Silesia region) in Poland. Prime Minister of Poland and Member of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) in the years 1997-2001. He guided Poland into the NATO structures in 1999. He initiated accession negotiations with the European Union in 1997. Founder of the “Foundation for the Family” in 1998 and the Institute of the Civil Society Pro Publico Bono in 2002. Member of The Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarność” since 1980 and Chairman of the 1st National Congress of Delegates of “Solidarność” in 1981. He participated in secret regional and national structures of the Union. He chaired 4th, 5th and 6th “Solidarność” Convention after 1989. Head of the economic workgroup of the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS) before the 1997 elections.
Professor. Studied at the Technical University of Silesia, Energy Engineering Faculty. In the years 1971-1972 – research grant at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Author of approx. 200 research papers and patents. Lectured at the Technical Universities of Silesia and Opole. Member of various academic and technical fellowships. Science Director at the Polish Academy of Science (PAN) in Gliwice until 1997. Representative of Poland at the International Energy Agency – Programme of Greenhouse Gas Effect in the years 1992-1997. Co-founder of Polish-German Science Network for Energy and Environment Protection INCREASE in 1997. Founder of the Consortium for Atmosphere Protection in Silesia in 1994. In the years 2002-2004 Vice-rector of the Polonia University in Częstochowa and founder of the Polonia School of Diplomacy. Doctor honoris causa of the Universities in Dortmund, Seoul and Isparta as well as Technical Universities of Opole and Silesia.
Member of the European Parliament since 2004, elected with the best result in Poland. Vice-president of the European Energy Forum since 2004. Rapporteur for the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Innovation as well as the rapporteur for the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan. He represented the European Parliament during the 2004 elections in Ukraine and supported the Orange Revolution. Holds “MEP of the Year for 2006 in the scientific research and technology category” title awarded by the Parliament Magazine. Prizewinner of “White Coal 2006″ awarded by the Polish Engineers. In 2007 President Pöttering awarded him with the statuette of a pigeon funded on the occasion of 60th anniversary of adopting the Declaration of Human Rights. According to the “Wprost” and “Rzeczpospolita” rankings (2008) he was chosen the best Polish MEP. Jerzy Buzek was a member of the following Committees in the European Parliament from 2004 till 2009: Industry, Research and Energy as well as Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. He was also a member of the following delegations in the European Parliament from 2004 till 2009: EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee as well as Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
On 14 July 2009, Jerzy Buzek was elected President of the European Parliament with 555 votes of the 644 valid votes cast, becoming the first President from the former Eastern Bloc to occupy this position.