CURRICULUM VITAE - ARI VATANEN

Born on 27 April, 1952 in Tuupovaara, Finland
Married to Rita Vatanen
Four children
Lives in France/Finland

I. RALLY CAREER

  • World Champion in 1981
  • Four-time winner of Paris - Dakar Rally
  • Winner of The World Cup of Rally Raids 1997
  • 2008 Gregor Grant Award for lifetime achievement in motorsport


II. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Member of the European Parliament in 1999-2009
1999-2004 elected in Finland (Coalition Party), and 2004-2009 elected in France (UMP, South-East)
Political Group in the EP: European Peoples' Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats
Committees: Foreign Affairs, Transport and Tourism (2004-2009) and Agriculture and Rural Development, Regional Development (1999-2004)

Particular fields of interest:

  • Road and traffic safety
  • Transportation logistics and mobility
  • Promoting  democracy, civil and political rights especially in the area of Former Soviet Union
  • Support of Turkey's membership in the EU
  • Support of undistorted market economics and vital business life
  • Support of efficient and independent energy policy and nuclear energy
  • Long-term work on EU-illegal car tax legislation of Finland


III.  OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • Chairman of Mobility for Prosperity in Europe  – a Brussels-based organisation which influences on EU transport policy and demands equal treatment of different modes of transport.
  • Member of the Board of trustees of FAS: FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society – FAS gives grants to projects which either further road safety or try to build a positive image for the road sector.
  • Involved in the work of Vaccine Fund – there are still 30 million children who do not vaccinated during their first life year. This causes about 3 million children to die of diseases which are totally preventable.
  • Figurehead for the European Road Safety Charter
  • Farmer in Southern France


OTHER INFORMATION

National Officer of the Order of Merit (France)
State order of Merits (Ukraine)