‒ Born on 12 January 1957 in Lisbon, Portugal

‒ Nationality: Portuguese

‒ Member of the Assembly of the Republic (1980‒1984)

‒ Member of the Joint European Parliament/Portuguese Parliament Committee on European Integration (1980‒1984)

‒ State Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs (1984‒1985)

‒ Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Civil Rights (1985‒1986)

‒ State Secretary for Administration and Justice of the Macao Government (1986‒1987)

‒ Representative of President Mario Soares in the Sino-Portuguese Joint Liaison Group on Macao (1987‒1989)

‒ Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs Committee (1994‒1995)

‒ Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister (1995‒1997)

‒ Member of the European Commission with special responsibility for Justice and Home Affairs (1999‒2004)

‒ Representative of the European Commission in the European Convention and, in this capacity, Member of the Praesidium of the Convention (2003‒2004)

‒ Special Adviser to the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the IGC (2007)