Born 1944; graduated in law from the University of Szeged, Hungary (1967); Hungarian Bar Entrance Examinations (1970); postgraduate studies in comparative law, University of Strasbourg, France (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972); official in the Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Trade (1966-74); Director for Legislative Matters (1973-74); First Commercial Secretary at the Hungarian Embassy, Brussels, responsible for European Community issues (1974-79); Director at the Ministry of Foreign Trade (1979-83); First Commercial Secretary, then Commercial Counsellor, to the Hungarian Embassy in Washington DC, USA (1983-89); Director-General at the Ministry of Trade and Ministry of International Economic Relations (1989-91); chief negotiator for the Association Agreement between the Republic of Hungary and the European Communities and their Member States (1990-91); Secretary-General of the Ministry of International Economic Relations; Head of the Office of European Affairs (1992); State Secretary at the Ministry of International Economic Relations (1993-94); State Secretary, President of the Office of European Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Trade (1994); Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Chief of Mission of the Republic of Hungary to the European Union (January 1995 to May 2003); chief negotiator for the accession of the Republic of Hungary to the European Union (July 1998 to April 2003); Minister without portfolio for the coordination of matters of European integration (from May 2003); Judge at the Court of Justice from 11 May 2004 to 7 October 2021.