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Ambassador Jean De Ruyt is a senior public policy advisor in Covington’s EU public policy team. Ambassador De Ruyt, a non-lawyer, is among the most experienced diplomats in Europe. Most recently, he served as the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union and was chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives during the 2010 Belgian Presidency of the Council.
Ambassador De Ruyt works with Covington's transatlantic government affairs team, which includes experienced lawyers as well as former senior policymakers. The team advises clients on a range of European public affairs issues, including the EU policy-making processes, functioning of the European institutions, development of EU legislation and accession of new EU members. Ambassador De Ruyt has particular expertise in the workings of the EU Council and EU institutions more broadly, transatlantic relations and United Nations development policy.
Ambassador De Ruyt was closely involved in Europe’s response to the financial crisis and the resulting legislation at the European level. He was instrumental in the creation of the European diplomatic service and, as the Permanent Representative, facilitated the resolution of a variety of state aid and competition policy disputes for Belgian companies.
Ambassador De Ruyt was involved in the negotiation of the European Single Act and the Nice and Lisbon Treaties, in initiatives relating to the implementation of the Oslo agreements in the Middle East and in the rebuilding of peace in Central Africa. He also participated in the stabilisation of former Yugoslavia and the development of NATO and European Defence.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Board Member, Egmont Institute
- Founding Member of Friends of Europe
- Professor invited, Louvain University
Previous Experience
- Special envoy for the European External Action Service (September 2011-January 2012)
- Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union (2007-2011)
- Chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (COREPER) during the Belgian Presidency (2010)
- Ambassador of Belgium to Italy, Albania and the Republic of San Marino (2004-2007)
- Permanent Representative of Belgium to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) (2004-2007)
- Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN (2001-2004)
- Director General for Political Affairs and member of the Political Committee of the European Union (1997-2001)
- Permanent Representative to NATO (1996-1997)
- Ambassador of Belgium to Poland (1994-1996)
- Director of Strategic Affairs in the Foreign Ministry, Belgium, as well as Senior Official to OSCE and Permanent Representative of Belgium to the Western European Union (WEU) (1991-1994)
- Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington (1987- 2001)
- Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union (1982-1987)
- Head of the Belgian Industrial Information Service promoting American and Canadian investments to Belgium (1978-1981)
March 10, 2021, Covington Alert
Traditionally, the logic of trade policy within the EU was driven by economic efficiency considerations: lower tariff and non-tariff barriers to international trade would facilitate mutual gains through the theory of comparative advantage. The EU’s new trade policy approach—“open, sustainable, and assertive”—has shifted tack to incorporate non-economic concerns ...
March 8, 2021, Covington Alert
The European Commission’s recently concluded Trade Policy Review (“TPR”) commits the EU to a more “open, sustainable and assertive” approach to trade. The EU’s emphasis on assertiveness is made credible by a series of reforms that give the EU and Member States new legal enforcement powers and institutions. This reorientation toward enforcement was echoed after a ...
January 2021, Covington Guide
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (EUTCA) reached on December 24th is a wide-ranging and complex agreement. Our Brexit Task Force offers these "bite-sized" recordings to give a snapshot of what you need to know in each area. Though the EUTCA provides the overall architecture of the future relationship in a number of areas, much of the detail must still ...
December 28, 2020, Covington Alert
On December 24, 2020, exactly four and a half years after the result of the UK’s EU Referendum, the UK and the EU reached an agreement on their future trade and cooperation arrangements: the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“EUTCA”). The transition period that has run since the UK left the EU in January 2020 will end at midnight Central European Time on ...
June 10, 2020, Global Policy Watch
Last week marked a hand-over from the technical Brexit negotiations back to the negotiators’ political masters. After four rounds of talks on the future EU-UK relationship, it appears that the UK and the EU are increasingly talking past each other. With both sides seeming to accept that the transition period will finish at the end...… Continue Reading
May 5, 2020, Global Policy Watch
Every new team entering the Berlaymont to head up the European Commission starts out with bold and ambitious plans. Time after time, reality intervenes, and their plans are upended. This was true for the second Barroso Commission in 2010, when the aftershocks of the Global Financial Crisis and the Greek and Euro crisis that followed...… Continue Reading
May 5, 2020, Covington Alert
Every new team entering the Berlaymont to head up the European Commission starts out with bold and ambitious plans. Time after time, reality intervenes, and their plans are upended. This was true for the second Barroso Commission in 2010, when the aftershocks of the Global Financial Crisis and the Greek and Euro crisis that followed came to dominate their ...
December 10, 2019, Global Policy Watch
Two days before NATO celebrated its seventieth anniversary in Watford, close to London on December 3–4, Ursula Von Der Leyen started her 5 years as president of the European Commission. She had announced that her Commission would be ‘geopolitical’, and appointed a commissioner, the French Thierry Breton, to deal with ‘Defense Industry and Space’, among...… ...
September 16, 2019, Global Policy Watch
On September 10, Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission, presented her new team. If approved by the European Parliament, they will take over from the Juncker Commission on November 1, 2019. This blog outlines the proposed structure of the new Commission, each Commissioner’s portfolio, and the key regulatory priorities that the ...
September 16, 2019, Covington Alert
Over the summer, Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission since July 16, prepared her 27-member Commission. On September 10, she presented her new team – five years to the day from when Jean Claude Juncker presented the current Commission. If approved by the European Parliament, her new team will take office on November 1, 2019. This ...
July 17, 2019, Global Policy Watch
After the election of the new European Parliament on May 24-26, the European Council met three times to discuss the package of appointments of EU’s new leaders (see our blog ‘elections and appointments in the European Union’ …) . The white smoke came on Tuesday July 2 with the selection of new presidents for the...… Continue Reading
May 23, 2019, Global Policy Watch
The EU elections began on Thursday, May 23, and run to Sunday, May 26. These are likely to see a significant change in the make-up of the European Parliament, with the main center-left and center-right parties losing overall control. It will also kick off formally the process for appointing a new European Commission – which,...… Continue Reading
February 19, 2019, Global Policy Watch
Until recently, even those in Europe who favour the development of an autonomous EU defense capability avoided referring to the setting up of a “European army”. When the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) was included in the Nice treaty in December 2000, the British government of Tony Blair was adamant about the exclusion of...… Continue Reading
December 13, 2018, Covington Alert
The first EU-level rules on the screening of foreign direct investment (FDI) are about to be agreed. These do not provide for the direct screening of FDI by the institutions of the Union, but rather create a framework for national initiatives and the exchange of information, and impose certain obligations on Member States to ensure a certain harmonization of any ...
December 3, 2018
BRUSSELS—Alexis Lautenberg has joined Covington’s Public Policy practice as a Senior Advisor. Ambassador Lautenberg is a long-serving Swiss diplomat whose career has been focused on European financial services and trade policy. His forty years of public service included postings as Swiss Ambassador to the EU, Italy and the UK. In 2013, he co-founded the Swiss ...
November 15, 2018
The proposed withdrawal agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom was published by the European Commission on November 14 (see here). The text runs to 585 pages, and represents a tentative agreement reached between the UK and EU negotiating teams. It is accompanied by an eight-page outline of the proposed political declaration on the future ...
August 8, 2018, Covington Alert
On August 6, 2018, President Trump issued Executive Order 13846 (the “Executive Order”) that re-imposes -- and to a limited extent broadens the scope of -- certain U.S. secondary sanctions targeting Iran that had been suspended in January 2016 pursuant to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) with Iran.
EU struggles to counter US sanctions on Iran
July 25, 2018, Financial Times
Jean De Ruyt is quoted in the Financial Times regarding EU plans to protect its businesses investing in Iran and mitigate a new wave of U.S. sanctions. Mr. De Ruyt notes, “It’s a European policy that’s totally in contradiction to the American policy: that doesn’t happen very often.”
June 19, 2018, Global Policy Watch
Transatlantic trade tensions, the Brexit negotiations, migration, and Eurozone reform will dominate the June 28 European Council. Each of these issues are potentially divisive, and the leaders know that a new dose of solidarity will be needed to address them properly. They also know that next year will see additional challenges to the cohesion and...… Continue ...
June 15, 2018, Covington Alert
As described in our May 9, 2018, alert, the United States determined on May 8, 2018, to end its participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) and re-impose sanctions against Iran that had been suspended as part of this 2015 nuclear agreement between the United States, Iran, Germany, France, the UK, and China.
May 25, 2018, Global Policy Watch
Four major issues dominated the EU agenda in the first quarter of 2018: institutional adaptations in view of next year’s elections and appointments; a threat by the United States to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium; a proposal for a tax on technology companies; and the beginning of the second phase of the...… Continue Reading
May 15, 2018, Covington Alert
On May 8, 2018, the United States announced the decision to end its participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) and re-impose sanctions against Iran that had been suspended as part of this 2015 nuclear agreement between the United States, Iran, Germany, France, the UK and China.
May 9, 2018, Covington Alert
On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced his decision to end U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) and re-impose sanctions against Iran that had been suspended as part of this 2015 nuclear agreement between the United States, Iran, and certain other governments. This action will have far-reaching effects for both U.S. and ...
May 9, 2018, Covington Alert
On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced his decision to end U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”) and re-impose sanctions against Iran that had been suspended as part of this 2015 nuclear agreement between the United States, Iran, and certain other governments. This action will have far-reaching effects for both U.S. and ...
March 14, 2018, Covington Alert
In our March 9 client alert we outlined the proclamations issued by President Trump announcing tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum in the United States, which will go into effect on March 23. The European Union—which is the second-largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, after Canada—has expressed concern about the imposition of ...
February 22, 2018, Global Policy Watch
Europe in 2019 will not just be the year of Brexit. It will also witness the election of a new European Parliament (“EP”), the choice of a new president of the European Commission and of a new Commission, as well as the appointment of a new president of the European Council and of the European...… Continue Reading
December 15, 2017, NPR
Jean De Ruyt appeared on NPR following the decision by European leaders to allow Britain to begin negotiating its future trading relationship with the European Union. According to De Ruyt, if European negotiators push too hard, they risk toppling Prime Minister May, who's weak at home. "Honestly, they want to reinforce her. She leads encouragement. Who else ...
September 15, 2017
BRUSSELS—Sir Michael Leigh has joined Covington’s Global Public Policy and Government Affairs practice as a Senior Advisor. Dr. Leigh was Director-General of DG Enlargement at the European Commission from 2006 to 2011 and as such served as chief European Union negotiator with candidate countries. From 2003 to 2006, he was Deputy Director-General of External ...
Juncker’s one-president proposal draws few cheers
September 13, 2017, Politico
Jean De Ruyt is quoted in a Politico article regarding EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s proposal to combine presidencies with Council President Donald Tusk. According to De Ruyt, it is a “logical idea” and has long been discussed in EU circles. The Council president and Commission president “already share around 80 percent of their competences,” De ...
March 28, 2017, Covington Alert
On March 16, 2017, following a lengthy legislative process, the European Parliament approved a final regulation implementing a new due diligence and reporting regime for “conflict minerals” (i.e., tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold) imported in the EU. The regulation will enter into force 20 days after formal approval by the Council of Ministers ...
December 12, 2016, The Guardian
Jean De Ruyt is quoted by The Guardian in an article regarding a proposal to allow British nationals to keep EU citizenship after Brexit. According to De Ruyt, “This proposal is absolutely not serious.” He continues, “It is very vague and for the distant future, it is not something which is made for Brexit. Maybe it can be discussed 10 years from now if member ...
November 16, 2016, MLex
Ambassador Jean De Ruyt is quoted in an MLex article regarding the appointment of Didier Seeuws as the leader of the Council of the European Union’s taskforce on Brexit. According to De Ruyt, Seeuws is a “good technician with a political mind.” De Ruyt adds that “[Seeuws is] a fixer; he wants to find solutions.”
October 31, 2016, Inside Energy & Environment
The European Commission calculated years ago that someone flying from London to New York and return generates roughly the same level of CO2 emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their home for a whole year. And air traffic is supposed to double by 2035… This is why the European Union...… Continue Reading
October 10, 2016
LONDON—Lord Francis Maude, the former UK Minister for Trade and Investment in Prime Minister David Cameron’s government, has joined Covington as a Senior Advisor in the firm’s Public Policy and Government Affairs practice. With a political career spanning almost 40 years, Lord Maude has held a number of high profile government positions, including Financial ...
October 3, 2016, The Guardian
Ambassador Jean de Ruyt is quoted in an article by The Guardian regarding the European Commission’s rejection of Theresa May’s call for preparatory talks on Brexit before the UK’s formal resignation from the EU. de Ruyt suggests there was a “grey area” where informal talks could happen, but governments will not start negotiations with the UK without notification ...
Covington Continues Expansion of European Capabilities
June 30, 2016
BRUSSELS—With the latest addition of Ambassador Péter Balás, Covington has further enhanced its global Antitrust and Competition and Public Policy and Government Affairs practices. The firm’s strategic growth in Europe includes the addition of the following professionals in recent months: Ambassador Péter Balás, the former Deputy Director-General of DG ...
June 27, 2016, Cov Africa
In a so-called “trilogue” meeting on June 16, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, and the European Commission reached a “political” agreement on the key elements of a regulation that would implement a due diligence and reporting regime for conflict minerals imported in the EU. It has taken more than three years since the...… Continue Reading
June 6, 2016
BRUSSELS—Ambassador Péter Balás, the former Deputy Director-General of DG Trade at the European Commission between 2005 and 2014, has joined Covington as a Senior Policy Advisor. Recently Ambassador Balás also held the position of Head of the Support Group for Ukraine at the European Commission. He was previously Ambassador and Permanent Representative of ...
May 19, 2016
BRUSSELS — Carl Bildt, the former Prime Minister of Sweden, has joined Covington as a Senior Policy Advisor in the firm’s global Public Policy and Government Affairs practice. Most recently, Mr. Bildt served as Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2006 and 2014. As Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr. Bildt led the government that negotiated and signed ...
February 8, 2016
BRUSSELS — Erika Mann, a former Member of the European Parliament and policymaker with over 20 years of experience, has joined Covington in its Brussels office as a senior European policy advisor in the firm’s global Public Policy and Government Affairs practice. Most recently, Ms. Mann served as Managing Director of Public Policy for Facebook in Brussels from ...
L’Europe sortira plus intégrée de ces crises
January 6, 2016, Le Soir
Jean De Ruyt was interviewed for this article.
September 14, 2015
BRUSSELS, September 14, 2015 — Ambassador Karel Kovanda has joined Covington’s global public policy and government affairs practice as a Senior European Policy Advisor. He will be based in the firm’s Brussels office. Ambassador Kovanda served as Deputy Director General of External Relations (now the European External Action Service) at the European Commission ...
April 21, 2015, Cov Africa
Background On April 14, 2015, the Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the European Parliament adopted amendments (by 22 votes to 16, and 2 abstentions) on the European Commission’s proposal for an EU conflict minerals regime published in March 2014. The INTA vote followed a compromise reached among three of the main political groups of...… Continue Reading
February 12, 2015, Cov Africa
Recent developments in the European Parliament threaten to make compliance with the future EU conflict minerals regime extremely complicated for companies that require tin, tantalum, tungsten, their ores or gold. Background The European Commission was encouraged to propose a European regime which would emulate the US Dodd Frank 1502 legislation in order to ...
November 6, 2014, Cov Africa
On November 6, the Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the European Parliament will have a first exchange of views on the proposal presented in March by the European Commission (EC) on “Minerals originating in conflict affected and high risk areas.” This is the European Union version of the so-called Dodd-Frank 1502 legislation in the...… Continue Reading
Covington’s Brussels harvest
September 22, 2014, Commercial Dispute Resolution
Covington's Peter Camesasca, Johan Ysewyn, Melissa Van Schoorisse, Miranda Cole, Henriette Tielemans, Sebastian Vos, and Jean De Ruyt are mentioned in this article on the growth of Covington's Brussels office: "April was a busy month for Covington & Burling’s competition lawyers, marking, as it did, the welcome return of Peter Camesasca – who temporarily ...
July 2014, Covington E-Alert
August 4, 2014, Cov Africa
While U.S. government officials have been aspiring to strengthen trade and investment ties between U.S. and Africa, the European Union (“EU”) has begun to realize its ambitions in that regard. In July, the EU concluded two regional European Partnership Agreements (“EPAs”), one with the members of the Southern African Development Community (“SADC”) and one ...
June 2014, Covington E-Alert
March 11, 2014, Covington E-Alert
The Upcoming European Commission’s Recommendation on Shale Gas: A Transitional Political Compromise?
January 17, 2014, Inside Energy & Environment
The European Commission is expected to adopt a communication and recommendation on the exploration and production of unconventional hydrocarbons (especially shale gas). The draft communication and recommendation, which are still subject to change, are being discussed among the cabinets of the 28 Commissioners of the European Commission as part of the 2030 ...
Congressional Leader Howard Berman Joins Covington
March 14, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC, March 14, 2013 — Congressman Howard Berman, a widely respected leader in the U.S. Congress, is joining Covington & Burling’s global public policy and government affairs practice. The addition of Rep. Berman, the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, comes a week after Sen. Jon Kyl joined Covington’s public policy and government ...
Senator Jon Kyl Joins Covington
March 6, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC, March 6, 2013 — Senator Jon Kyl, who recently left Congress as the second-highest ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, is joining Covington & Burling’s global public policy and government affairs practice. “Senator Kyl’s deep knowledge and extraordinary legislative skills from his years as a senior leader in Congress make him ideally suited to ...
September 10, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC, September 10, 2012 — Witney Schneidman, a former senior State Department official with more than 30 years of experience in Africa, is joining Covington & Burling, strengthening the firm’s ability to advise corporate clients on entering and expanding their presence in the African market. Dr. Schneidman joins the firm’s Washington office as a ...
March 27, 2012, Covington E-Alert
February 9, 2012, Covington E-Alert
1/17/2012
BRUSSELS, 17 January, 2012 — Covington & Burling LLP is pleased to announce that Jean De Ruyt has joined the firm’s government affairs group as a senior European policy advisor in Brussels. Ambassador Jean De Ruyt is among the most experienced diplomats in Europe. Most recently, he served as the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union and was ...
2005, Schuman Centre, European University Institute
- Grand Officier de l’Ordre de Léopold
- Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana