[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 157 (Friday, September 27, 2019)]
[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.

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