Gustaaf Borchardt is a seasoned former European official. He was Director in the Directorate General for Environment dealing, among others, with REACH and CLP chemicals legislation, water and marine policies. He was also a Member of the Management Board of the European Chemicals Agency. Prior, Mr Borchardt was Director at the Secretariat General representing the European Commission in the negotiations with the Member States (COREPER I) on subjects such as internal market, environment, energy, health, transport and agriculture. He was also Director in the Directorate General for Justice and Home Affairs, dealing with immigration, border controls and European civil law and human rights. Earlier, he worked in the Cabinet of the Advocate General, P. VerLoren van Themaat, at the Court of Justice of the EU.
Mr Borchardt started his career in banking in London and Buenos Aires before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands where he held several positions, including Legal and Institutional Advisor at the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU chairing among others the Group of Friends during the Netherlands Presidency negotiating the Treaty of Maastricht.
After having been chairman of the International Commission of the Protection of Rhine, (Koblenz Germany), Gustaaf Borchardt is now its special representative for the Upper Rhine. He is also chairman of the Timber Procurement Advisory Committee (The Hague) and chairman of the governing board of the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (Delft).
He holds a law degree, with specialisation in EU law from the University of Amsterdam.