Elly Plooij-van Gorsel

Pieternella Cornelia (Elly) Plooij- van Gorsel (born March 20 1947, in Tholen, Netherlands) was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the delegation of the liberal Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD) for ten years.

Pre-political career

Van Gorsel attended the HBS until 1965, specializing in science. She continued to study Psychology at the University of Utrecht, where she graduated in 1971. In 1971 she became research fellow at the University of Leiden, where she received the title doctor, equivalent to a PhD, in 1980. Her thesis was titled "Personality and arousal: a research into the cortical and autonomous functions into relation to personality". She continued at the University of Leiden as a lecturer. There she took courses in management and information technology. During this period she was secretary of the church council of the Remonstrant Church in Oude Wetering and citizen-councillor for the VVD in Alkemade. She also was vice-chairperson of the commission for emancipation of the Leiden University Council.

In 1987 she switched from science to business and became head of Seminars and Conferences at the NIVE, and a such she became secretary of the Dutch Association of Professional Conference Organisers. Between 1987 and 1991 she was editor for "The Liberal Woman", the magazine of the feminist group within the VVD. In 1988 she became chairperson of the Foundation Woman and Management and member of the Internationa; Advisors Board of Governors of the American National Women's Economic Alliance in Washington. After taking courses in commercial economics in 1990, she became head of Sales for Service One Business Catering. Between 1991 and 1994 she was treasurer of the Leiden branch of the VVD, and its European contact.

Political career

In 1994 she was elected into the European Parliament for the VVD, which is a member of the ELDR. She became member of the committee for Research, Technology and Energy and of the committee for External Economic Relations. She was member of the Delegation for Relations with the United States, and substitute of the Delegation for Relations with the Czech Republic.

After the 1999 elections she became member of the Committee for Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy and substitute for the committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs. She became chairperson of the Delegation for Relations with the People's Republic of China, and a such member of the conference of delegation chairpersons. In this period she was reporter on REACH. In 2003 she was appointed draftsperson for the Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions and proposed an amendment which? for a 'grace period' which would have brought EU patent practice in the field of software patent closer to the US practice of "first to invent" as opposed to the EU practice of "first to file".dubious Between 2001 and 2002 she was vice-president of the European Parliament.

In the European Parliament she was showed particular interest in information technology and innovation.

Post-political career

In 2004 Van Gorsel joined Blueprint Partners as Senior Counsellor. Blueprint Partners is a multinational group of sixteen public affairs and communications professionals which offers insight into the workings of all the European institutions. She was titled a "Powerhouse" in the group's announcement [http://www.blueprintpartners.be/news_detail.php?news_id=10] of her recruitment.

She also founded the European Internet Foundation, a lobbying organisation for the large European Internet Providers and she was member of the Steering Committee of the Trans-atlantic Policy Network, a network for European and American politicians and businessmen.Van Gorsel is also chairperson of the Dutch Expert Council for national standards. Van Gorsel currently resides in Brussels.

Miscellaneous facts

*Van Gorsel is an adherent of Remonstrantism cn
*Van Gorsel speaks fluent Dutch, English, German and French. cn

External links

* [http://www.blueprintpartners.be/who_we_are_bio.php?team_id=12 van Gorsel's current job CV]
* [http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep5/owa/whos_mep.data?ilg=EN&iucd=1966 her page as an MEP from 1999 to 2004]
* [http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep4/owa/whos_mep.data?ilg=EN&iucd=D0922 Her page as an MEP from 1994 to 1999]
* [http://www.parlement.com/9291000/biof/03022 Detailed biography (in Dutch)]