Eric Ponthieu

Head of Unit
Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and information society, European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels

Energy in Central and Eastern Europe 2008 in Bucharest

Eric Ponthieu was Head of Sector “Urban environment”, European Commission (EC), Directorate General for Research, managing a team of 10 persons dealing with R&D on urban infrastructures, tools and technologies, to promote sustainable development in EU cities. Issues covered: governance, water and waste management, urban and regional mobility, cultural heritage, sustainable construction, etc. Scientific, administrative and financial management; annual budget of €20-30 millions; from 01/07/2003 to 31/05/2006
He was also Scientific officer, European Commission, Directorate General for Research, successively in charge of R&D projects in the areas of:

new cleaning processes for water and waste treatment, and for chemical and petrochemical industries: EC, DG RTD, 05/94 to 12/95
transport (in the context of the Task Force Car of Tomorrow) and fuel cell/hydrogen (energy technology for transport and stationary applications): EC, DG RTD, 01/96 to 03/99
transport and spatial planning: EC, DG RTD; Environment and Sustainable Development, from 03/99

He also served as EC information officer of the Task Force Car of Tomorrow (01/96 to 12/98), Non Nuclear Energy (JOULE) research programme (06/96 to 12/98), and Environment and Sustainable Development Programme (01/99 up to 12/2002). This implied in particular the drafting of briefing notes and speeches (e.g. for the Research Commissioners Mrs.Cresson and Mr Busquin), “success stories” about European R&D projects, press releases, the organisation of conferences, the realisation of publications and videos of different natures, etc.

Eric Ponthieu had had multiple collaborations with the press as a free lance scientific journalist: editing of more than 400 papers on science & technology, environment, management, etc., in different newspapers and magazines: Le Soir, Libération, Trends-Tendances, L'Instant, La Recherche, etc

He had a major role (DG RTD co-ordinator) in the preparation and follow-up of the “Environment Technologies Action Plan”(ETAP) (2004), in the follow-up of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy and the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). DG RTD officer in charge of the research cooperation between European Commission and UN-HABITAT (from 06/2002)

Eric Ponthieu is regular lecturer on The EU policy on R&D and innovation, The EU transport policy and related R&D, The EU Environment & Health, etc. at different European/non-European universities and research organisations and was Visiting professor at Peking University (18-22 December 2006), Kyoto University and University Roma.

He participated as speaker at energy in Central and Eastern Europe 2008 in Bucharest.

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