Pascal Lamy (born 8 April 1947) is a French political consultant and businessman. He was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1 September 2005 to 1 September 2013 for 8 years. In April 2009, WTO members reappointed Lamy for a second 4-year term, beginning on 1 September 2009. He was then succeeded by Roberto Azevêdo. Pascal Lamy was also European Commissioner for Trade for 5 years, from 13 September 1999 to 22 November 2004 and is an advisor for the transatlantic think-tank European Horizons, as well as currently serving as the Honorary President of the Paris-based think tank, Notre Europe.

Born in Levallois-Perret, Hauts-de-Seine, a suburb of Paris, Lamy studied at Sciences Po Paris, from HEC and ÉNA, graduating second in his year of those specialising in economics.

He then joined the civil service, and in this role he ended up serving as an adviser to Jacques Delors as Economics and Finance Minister and Pierre Mauroy as Prime Minister.

Lamy has been a member of the French Socialist Party since 1969.

In 1979 Pascal Lamy was appointed to the post of Secretary General of the "Mayoux Committee". During 1979-1981 he worked as Deputy Secretary General, then Secretary General of the Interministerial Committee for the Remodelling of Industrial Structures (CIASI) in the Treasury Department. In 1981 Pascal Lamy was technical Adviser, then deputy director (June 1982), Office of the Ministers for Economic and Financial Affairs (Mr Jacques Delors).

Lamy became Deputy Secretary General, then Secretary General of the Interministerial Committee for the Remodelling of Industrial Structures (CIASI) in the Treasury Department. When Delors became President of the European Commission in 1984, he took Lamy with him to serve as chef de cabinet, which he did until the end of Delors' term in 1994. During his time there, Lamy became known as the Beast of the Berlaymont, the Gendarme and Exocet due to his habit of ordering civil servants, even Directors-General (heads of department) "precisely what to do – or else." He was seen as ruling Delors' office with a "rod of iron", with no-one able to bypass or manipulate him and those who tried being "banished to one of the less pleasant European postings".

Lamy briefly moved into business at Crédit Lyonnais. Promoted to second in command, he was involved in the restructuring and privatisation of the bank.

Returning to the European Commission in 1999, Lamy was appointed European Commissioner for Trade by Commission President Romano Prodi. Lamy served to the expiry of the commission's term in 2004. His ability to manage the powerful civil servants in his department was noted. During his time in office, he pushed for a new Doha round of world trade talks and advocated reform within the WTO.

On 13 May 2005, Lamy was chosen as the next director-general of the World Trade Organization, and took office on 1 September 2005 for a four-year term. He had been nominated by the European Union and won over candidates including Carlos Pérez del Castillo of Uruguay and Jaya Krishna Cuttaree of Mauritius. ...

Source: Article "Pascal Lamy" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Pascal Lamy, né le 8 avril 1947 à Levallois-Perret (Seine), est un haut fonctionnaire et homme politique français.

Il est commissaire européen pour le commerce de 1999 à 2004 et directeur général de l'Organisation mondiale du commerce du 1er septembre 2005 au 31 août 2013. Il est président de l'Institut Jacques Delors de 2004 à 2005 puis président émérite depuis 20131. Il est président du Forum de Paris sur la paix depuis 2019.

Pascal Lamy effectue ses études secondaires au lycée Carnot. Il est diplômé d'HEC Paris en 1969. Il reçoit le diplôme de l'Institut d'études politiques de Paris en 1971 (section Service Public) et est titulaire d'un DES de droit. Il prépare à Sciences Po le concours de l'École nationale d'administration, où il est admis en 1973 (promotion Léon Blum, 1973-1975).

Il commence sa carrière dans la fonction publique à l'Inspection générale des finances (juin 1975-1979) et au Trésor (1979-1981). Il est secrétaire général du Comité interministériel pour l'aménagement des structures industrielles (CIASI). Après la victoire de la Gauche, il est conseiller du ministre de l'Économie et des Finances Jacques Delors (avril 1981-juillet 1984) puis directeur-adjoint du cabinet du Premier ministre Pierre Mauroy (1983-1984). Il exerce de 1985 à 1994 les fonctions de directeur de cabinet du président de la Commission européenne Jacques Delors, dont il est par ailleurs le sherpa au G7. Il est ensuite directeur général du Crédit lyonnais qu'il contribue à redresser jusqu'à sa privatisation en 1999. Il revient ensuite à Bruxelles, en 1999, pour occuper le poste de commissaire européen au Commerce sous la présidence de Romano Prodi. Il est enfin élu, le 26 mai 2005, directeur général de l'Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC). Seul candidat à sa propre succession (une première dans l'histoire de l'institution créée en 1995), il a été reconduit, le 30 avril 2009, à la tête de l'organisation pour un second mandat de quatre ans à l'issue d'un vote par acclamation de ses 153 membres. Son mandat prend fin le 31 août 2013. Arancha Gonzalez, l'actuelle directrice du centre du commerce international, est sa porte-parole et cheffe de cabinet durant toute cette période.

Membre du Parti socialiste depuis 1969, il est secrétaire de section à Gisors (Eure) de 1978 à 1985, puis membre du comité directeur du Parti socialiste de 1985 à 1994. En 1993, il est battu dès le premier tour dans la 5e circonscription de l'Eure (15,10 %), devancé par le candidat FN, alors que le sortant était PS. ...

Source: Article "Pascal Lamy" de Wikipédia en français, soumis à la licence CC-BY-SA 3.0.