Thomas Leahy

Biographical Note

A career Irish civil servant, Thomas Leahy spent 10 years with the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Community as Economic Counsellor with overall responsibility for Trade and Commercial Policy; particular responsibility for Article 113 (133) Committee in all its formulations, relations with Central and Eastern European countries, OECD Trade Committee, and Generalised Preferences.

An experienced practitioner, Mr Leahy chaired numerous Working Party meetings in Council during three of Ireland's Presidencies.

Since 1990, training activities in the field of European Negotiations have centred on EU Presidency chairmanship training for the governments of Portugal, Austria, Finland and Sweden. Special training was organised in preparation of Ireland's 1996 Presidency. Until 1998, expertise with shared training responsibility was provided to the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), Maastricht (NL), in European Negotiations seminars.