HONORING THE SERVICE OF ANTOINE RIPOLL AS DIRECTOR OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LIAISON OFFICE; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 157
(Extensions of Remarks - September 27, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE SERVICE OF ANTOINE RIPOLL AS DIRECTOR OF THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT LIAISON OFFICE
______
HON. JIM COSTA
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 27, 2019
Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Mr.
Antoine Ripoll, the outgoing Director of the European Parliament
Liaison Office.
Antoine Ripoll has dedicated his career to the European Union and
transatlantic relations. After completing his Master in Public and
European Law at Paris-Pantheon Sorbonne University, he first worked as
a civil servant at the European Commission.
In 1988, Antoine Ripoll joined the European Parliament, where he went
on to hold a number of roles ranging from communication to positions
with parliamentary committees. When the European Union began exploring
the prospect of enlargement into the former Eastern Bloc, he worked to
lay the groundwork for this remarkable achievement.
Antoine Ripoll's accomplishments do not end there. From 2007 to 2012,
he served as the Chief of Staff of the European People's Party, which
was the largest group in the EU Parliament at the time. In 2012, he
transitioned to serving as Director for Relations with Parliamentary
Groups in the General Secretariat of the European Parliament and, later
that year, moved to Washington, D.C. to become Director of the European
Parliament Liaison Office.
In his current role, Antoine Ripoll has facilitated discussions
between Members of both Houses of Congress, from both sides of the
aisle, with their European counterparts to productively address matters
of critical importance on both sides of the Atlantic.
His commitment to transatlantic understanding and cooperation has
positively impacted the E.U.-U.S. relationship in a wide range of
areas. For his many services and contributions, he has been honored
with the Chevalier de l'ordre national du Merite by his native France.
Over the past several years, the U.S. leadership of the Transatlantic
Legislators' Dialogue has worked closely with Antoine Ripoll. Members
of Congress have spent many hours discussing European-American
relations and have benefited immensely from his experience and
expertise.
With the transatlantic relationship more important today than perhaps
any other time in our shared history, it is critical to recognize the
achievements of those who have worked to build and maintain the peace
and prosperity we currently enjoy on both sides of the Atlantic.
Antoine Ripoll's commitment to helping American and European
legislators work together, and his overall contributions to the
transatlantic relationship, should serve as an inspiration to us all.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the
service of Mr. Antoine Ripoll and wishing him the best in his future
endeavors.
____________________
