Curriculum vitae Othmar KARAS

Education (qualifications and diplomas)

• 2017-2017 : PhD in political science, University of Vienna, Austria
• 2013 : Honorary professor, Danube University, Krems, Austria
• 1997 : Master’s degree (MBL) in European and international economic law, Hochschule St. Gallen, Switzerland
• 1996 : MPhil in political science, University of Vienna, Austria

Professional career

• 1999-... : Member of the European Parliament; Committees: Bureau of the European Parliament; Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO); Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC; Vice-Chair) and Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE); Special Committee on Tax Rulings and Other Measures Similar in Nature or Effect (TAXE, TAX2, TAX3), Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA) and Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS); Committee of inquiry to investigate alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion; Temporary Committee on Policy Challenges and Budgetary Means of the Enlarged Union 2007–2013 (FINP); Delegations for relations with the US (D-US), Russia (D-RU; former Chair), Canada (D-CA) and Japan (D-JP) and EU-Hungary Joint Parliamentary Committee; Financial Assistance Working Group (FAWG), Banking Union Working Group (BUWG), FinTech Working Group, SME Intergroup, Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), Working Group on Information and Communication Policy
• 2022-... : First Vice-President of the European Parliament
• 2019-2022 : Vice-President of the European Parliament
• 2012-2014 : Vice-President of the European Parliament
• 1995-1999 : Secretary-General of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP)
• 1993-1995 : Authorised representative of the UNIQA Insurance Group AG
• 1983-1990 : Member of the lower house of the Austrian Parliament
• 1981-1995 : Deputy Secretary-General of Bundesländer Versicherung; Director and manager/fully authorised agent in the banking and insurance industry
• 1979-1981 : ÖVP policy officer

Political career

Offices held in a political party or national trade union

• 2011-2019 : Leader of the ÖVP delegation in the European Parliament
• 2006-2009 : Leader of the ÖVP delegation in the European Parliament
• 2011-... : Leader of the ÖVP delegation in the European Parliament
• 1981-1991 : ÖVP Federal Executive Committee Member
• 1995-1999 : ÖVP Federal Executive Committee Member
• 2006-... : ÖVP Federal Executive Committee Member
• 2015-... : ÖVP Federal Management Board Member
• 1995-1999 : ÖVP Federal Presidium Member
• 1995-1999 : ÖVP Secretary-General
• 1983-1990 : Member of the lower house of the Austrian Parliament
• 1979-1981 : ÖVP policy officer

Offices held in an international political party organisation or an international trade union organisation

• 2019-... : Chair of the Steering Committee of the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum (EPFSF)
• 2016-... : Member of the European Parliament’s Financial Assistance Working Group
• 2007-2015 : President of the Robert Schuman Institute in Budapest
• 2002-2015 : Vice-President of the Robert Schuman Foundation, EPP Group, Brussels
• 2014-... : Chair of the Intergroup on SMEs
• 2009-2011 : EPP Coordinator in the Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS)
• 2004-2011 : Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the EPP Group
• 2002-2004 : EPP Group spokesperson on economic affairs
• 1999-2004 : Board Member and Treasurer of the EPP Group

Offices held in the EU institutions

• 2014-... : Chair of the Interparliamentary Delegation for Relations between the European Union and Russia
• 2012-2014 : Vice-President of the European Parliament, Directorate-General for Communication, 2014 European Parliament election campaign, First European Youth Event, May 2014, Information, Press and Citizens’ Concerns, including the European Parliament’s information offices, Working Group for Information and Communication, with special responsibility for the press and communication with citizens, Interinstitutional Working Group on communication (European Commission, Committee of the Regions), Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC), meetings and relations with national parliaments, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the Conference on Economic Governance in the EU (Article 13, Stability and Growth Pact (TCSG)), United Nations and UNESCO, Multilateral fora (non-security-related), World Bank and IMF

Offices held in other European organisations

• 2009-2013 : President of the Kangaroo Group

Other activities

• 03/2016-... : Board Member of the Austrian Insurance Association
• 2015-... : Lecturer at Vienna University of Economics
• 03/2015-... : Professor at Danube University Krems, Faculty of Economics and Globalisation, Department for Migration and Globalisation
• 2014-... : Lecturer at the Danube University Krems
• 2009-... : Founder and spokesperson of the Europe 2020 Citizens’ Forum
• 2007-... : Lecturer in ethical finance at the University of Vienna’s Department of Political Science
• 1998-... : President of Hilfswerk Austria

Honours

• Golden Arrow Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)
• Dr Alois Mock Europe Prize (2014)
• MEP of the Year (Parliament Magazine; 2013)
• Kardinal Opilio Rossi Medal (2009)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria (2003)