Meeting at the Agency’s headquarters in Paris on 20 and 21 June, the ESA
Council Jean-Pol Poncelet, a Belgian, to the post of Director of Strategy
and External Relations, for a four-year term.
Mr Poncelet, 51, graduated in physics at the University of Louvain in
1973. After a further year at that university, he worked as an engineer in
Belgonucleaire (1974-79) and as researcher at the Luxembourg University
Foundation (1979-85). Since 1990 he has been in charge of a postgraduate
course on energy and the environment. Mr Poncelet also held various posts
in the Ministries of Science Policy and Economic Affairs, and was advisor
to the State Secretary for the Environment on matters of nuclear security
(1987-91).
In his political career, from 1991 to 1995 he was a Member of the House of
Representatives, and from 1995 to 1999 was Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Defence and Minister of Energy. He is currently a Member of
the House of Representatives.
“I welcome the decision of our Council to appoint Mr Poncelet” said ESA
Director General, Antonio Rodotý. “His wide-ranging background and
political experience will certainly help ESA make the right strategic
choices, in both the European and the international context” he added.
For further information, please contact :
ESA Communication Department
Media Relations Office
Tel. + 331 5369 7155
Fax. + 33 1 5369 7690
