Elly Plooij-van Gorsel
Encyclopedia
Pieternella Cornelia Plooij-van Gorsel (born March 20, 1947 in Tholen
, Zeeland
) was a Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) in the delegation of the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie - VVD) for ten years.
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 was vice-chairperson of the commission for emancipation of the Leiden University Council.
In 1987, van Gorsel switched from science to business and became head of Seminars and Conferences at the NIVE; she also became secretary of the Dutch Association of Professional Conference Organisers. From 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 a member of the International Advisors Board of Governors of the American National Women's Economic Alliance in Washington, DC. After taking courses in commercial economics in 1990, she became head of Sales for Service One Business Catering. From 1991 and 1994, she was treasurer of the Leiden branch of the VVD, and its European contact.
, she was elected into the European Parliament for the VVD, which is part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
. She became a member of the committee for Research, Technology and Energy and of the committee for External Economic Relations. She was a member of the Delegation for Relations with the United States
, and a 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 a 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 member of the conference of delegation chairpersons. During this period, she was a reporter on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals
. In 2003, she was appointed draftsperson for the Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions and proposed an amendment for a "grace period" which would have brought European patent practice in the field of software patents closer to the United States practice of "first to invent" as opposed to the European practice of "first to file". Between 2001 and 2002, she was vice-president of the European Parliament.
, Belgium
.
Tholen
Tholen is a municipality in the southwest of the Netherlands. The municipality of Tholen has lent its name from the town of Tholen, which is the largest population center in the municipality....
, Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
) was a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) in the delegation of the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
(Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie - VVD) for ten years.
Early life (1947 – 1994)
Van Gorsel attended high school until 1965, specializing in science. She studied psychology at the University of Utrecht, where she graduated in 1971. In 1971, she became a researcher at the University of Leiden, where she received a PhDDoctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
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
Oude Wetering
Oude Wetering is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located in the municipality of Kaag en Braassem, east of the town of Roelofarendsveen.A bridge connects the village to the village of Weteringbrug in the Haarlemmermeer....
and citizen-councillor for the VVD in Alkemade
Alkemade
Alkemade is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Before its merger with Jacobswoude, the municipality covered an area of 30.91 km² of which 3.94 km² is water...
. She was vice-chairperson of the commission for emancipation of the Leiden University Council.
In 1987, van Gorsel switched from science to business and became head of Seminars and Conferences at the NIVE; she also became secretary of the Dutch Association of Professional Conference Organisers. From 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 a member of the International Advisors Board of Governors of the American National Women's Economic Alliance in Washington, DC. After taking courses in commercial economics in 1990, she became head of Sales for Service One Business Catering. From 1991 and 1994, she was treasurer of the Leiden branch of the VVD, and its European contact.
Political career (1994 – 2004)
In 1994European Parliament election, 1994
The 1994 European Parliamentary Election was a European election held across the 12 European Union member states in June 1994.This election saw the merge of the European People's Party and European Democrats, an increase in the overall number of seats and a fall in overall turnout to...
, she was elected into the European Parliament for the VVD, which is part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
. She became a member of the committee for Research, Technology and Energy and of the committee for External Economic Relations. She was a member of the Delegation for Relations with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a substitute of the Delegation for Relations with the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
After the 1999 elections, she became member of the committee for Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy and a substitute for the committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs. She became chairperson of the Delegation for Relations with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and a member of the conference of delegation chairpersons. During this period, she was a reporter on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals
Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals is a European Union Regulation of 18 December 2006. REACH addresses the production and use of chemical substances, and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment...
. In 2003, she was appointed draftsperson for the Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions and proposed an amendment for a "grace period" which would have brought European patent practice in the field of software patents closer to the United States practice of "first to invent" as opposed to the European practice of "first to file". Between 2001 and 2002, she was vice-president of the European Parliament.
After political career (2004 – present)
In 2004, Van Gorsel joined Blueprint Partners as senior counsellor. She co-founded the European Internet Foundation, an independent, neutral and non-partisan discussion forum on ICT-related topics, governed by elected members of the European Parliament. She was a member of the Steering Committee of the Trans-Atlantic Policy Network, a network for European and American politicians and businessmen. Van Gorsel is chairperson of the Dutch Expert Council for national standards. She currently resides in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.