Paul Rübig (born 6 May 1953) is an Austrian politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1996 until 2019. He is a member of the Austrian People's Party, part of the European People's Party.
Rübig became a Member of the European Parliament on 25 January 1996, and was re-elected in 1996, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.Profile of Paul Rübig, Austrian Parliament, 15 October 2009, Announcement of the results, The Parliament Magazine, 25 June 2013.
Background Born in 1953, Rübig attended the polytechnic institute for farm machinery design in Steyr, graduating in 1972. After his military service, he studied business administration, marketing and industrial engineering at the University of Linz (1972–78). He completed his studies there with a doctorate at the Institute for Auditing, Trusteeship and Accountancy in 1984. At the same time, he worked as a lifeguard, glider and skiing instructor.Lecture of Dr. Paul Rübig , Stiftsgymnasium Kremsmünster, 27 May 2008
He started his business career in 1972, working in the family forging company with various general management appointments until 1996. During the course of his business career he founded companies in France, Germany and the United Kingdom., Profile of MEP Dr. Paul Rübig, Austrian Parliament, 15 October 2010.
Political career
In 1991, Rübig was selected as a candidate for the Austrian People's Party for the regional elections in Upper Austria. After having been elected, he became Chairman of the then so-called EU Integration Committee, facilitating the accession of Austria to the European Union. After this period as MP, he became a Member of the European Parliament on 25 January 1996, at this time by decision of the Austrian Parliament. Since then, he was four times re-elected, namely in 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2009., Profile of MEP Dr. Paul Rübig, Austrian Parliament, 15 October 2009.
He held various positions within the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. From 1991 to 1996 he was board member of the Upper Austria Business Promotion Institute, from 1996 to 2000 Vice-President of the Upper Austria Chamber of Commerce, and from 2000 to 2005 Industry Vice-Chairman of the federal organization of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
Parliamentary Work Rübig served as member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, of the Committee on Budgetary Control and is a substitute member of the Committee on Budgets. As deputy chairman, he was a member of the Maghreb delegation, and was active in the delegations to the EFTA countries and to the Arabic peninsula. , Profile of MEP Dr. Paul Rübig, EPP Group in the European Parliament, retrieved 9 June 2013.
As one of the initiators of the WTO Steering Committee, Rübig held the position of the EPP small businesses spokesperson.Profile: Paul Rübig, Austrian Parliament, 15 October 2009. Furthermore, he is the Treasurer of the Austrian EPP delegation in the European Parliament,Profile: Paul Rübig, meineabgeordneten.at, retrieved on 31 March 2013. Chairman of the Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) unit STOA Vorstand, European Parliament, retrieved on 29 March 2013. and chairman of the Paneuropean Working Group in the European ParliamentIn necessariis unitas, dubiis libertas, in omnibus libertas, Paneuropa, retrieved on 31 March 2013
Key policy objectives
Small and medium-sized enterprises Rübig advocated in the European Parliament the interests of about 20.8 million small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in Europe. , Simplification of the ten most burdensome regulations for SME, MEP Dr. Paul Rübig, 8 March 2013. In Rübig's view overcoming the global economic crisis requires a reduction of costs for SME, in particular for startup companies, significantly less red-tape, innovative SME tax regimes and more focus on independent and entrepreneurial thinking in school education.Growth: Remove administrative burdens for SMEs, EPP Group in the European Parliament, 18 September 2012.
In order to promote his political ideas in the public debate, Rübig founded in May 2012 together with the Danish MEP Bendt Bendtsen and the Bulgarian MEP Nadezhda Neynsky the business organization of the European People's Party, SME Europe.By-Laws of the organisation (PDF; 97 kB), SME Europe, retrieved on 18 April 2013. In February 2013, the General Assembly decided to choose Rübig as the Honorary President of the organization.Blog of the organization, SME Europe, retrieved on 18 April 2013. Since 2003, he is also the President of SME Global.Curriculum vitae, European Parliament, retrieved on 18 April 2013. Furthermore, between 1999 and 2000 he was elected President of the SME Circle of the EPP Parliamentary Group, from 2000 to 2001 Co-President of the SME Union and from 2001 to 2003 he held this same position alone as its President. , Profile of MEP Dr. Paul Rübig, www.meineabgeordneten.at, retrieved, 9 June 2013.
Reduction of roaming charges
As responsible rapporteur in the industry committee and an active supporter of the citizens initiative Europeans for Fair Roaming, Rübig enforced the roaming rules at the European level., Roaming charges: Slash consumer prices! Paul Rübig MEP, 23 January 2007. This initiative established maximum price ceilings for mobile providers., Roaming Tariffs, European Commission, retrieved on 1 June 2013. Rübig pushed for a general abolition of roaming charges before the elections to the European Parliament in May 2014. In the New York Times he called upon the responsible Commissioner Neelie Kroes for swift and concrete implementation plans., Mobile fees: No time for compromise, 2 June 2013.
Science policy
Rübig advocated for a significant increase of research funding., Austria is net-receiver for EU research funding, 6 March 2013. In the negotiations for Horizon 2020,, Horizon 2020, European Commission, retrieved on 21 June 2013. which will follow the 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), he supported the restructuring of the available sources towards more funding for small and medium-sized enterprises., EU battles over research billions, Nature.com, 12 September 2012. At the same time, he requested in the ongoing budget negotiations for the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) an increase of means for growth generating measures in education, science and research., Politics has to make use of new technologies, Austrian Press Agency, 15 March 2012.
Fiscal responsibility As member of the Budgetary Control Committee, Rübig advocated for responsible and efficient use of tax money, advocating that the use of tax money be evaluated on its efficacy, appropriateness and cost-effectiveness., Paul Rübig on EU budget: Despite less SME funding, we have to achieve more, 24 April 2013.
Energy transition
Rübig advocated for support of renewable energies in the energy policy of the European Union, a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and an increase of energy efficiency. , New EU energy saving targets have to set incentives, not to create sanctions, MEP Dr. Paul Rübig, 21 May 2013 He opposed nuclear energy with reference to the high security risks and costs in the life cycle of nuclear power plants (construction, operation, decommissioning, final storage). , Statement regarding the current debate on the EU energy roadmap 2050
Removal of global trade barriers
As EPP spokesperson in the WTO steering committee of the European Parliament, Rübig advocated for a sustainable removal of global trade barriers., Discussion paper of MEP Dr. Paul Rübig on the occasion of the Annual 2012 Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO in Geneva, 16 October 2012. Rübig also advocated giving companies the ability to actively participate in dispute settlement procedures of the World Trade Organization., Discussion paper of MEP Dr. Paul Rübig on the occasion of the Annual 2011 Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO in Geneva, 23 February 2011. He supported the possible Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement with the United States., Paul Rübig in the public TV debate 'Inside Brussels', 13 June 2013., Free trade area should emerge in 2015, 15 June 2013.
Europeanization of the political debate Rübig called for a Europeanization of news coverage in national newspapers and broadcasts, on the grounds that the public debates in the member states do not pay sufficiently attention to issues debated at European Union level. In this context, Rübig gave lectures at the College of Europe (CoE) and the French École nationale d’administration (ENA)., Paul Rübig lectures about affordable energy, École nationale d’administration, 25 June 2013.
Handover of the Peace Light Since Austria joined the European Union (1995), Rübig initiated the tradition of bringing the Peace Light of Bethlehem to Strasbourg to hand the flame over to the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the city itself.Handover of the Flame of Peace, European Commission, 10 December 2012.
Other activities European Internet Foundation, Member European Parliament Ceramics Forum (EPCF), Member European Parliament Gypsum Forum, Member European Parliament Intergroup on "Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development" (CCBSD), Member Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), Member
Personal life Rübig is married and the father of an adult daughter and son. , About him, Internet presence of MEP Dr. Paul Rübig, retrieved 9 June 2013.
Awards 2015: Member of the European Parliament of the Year, Category: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 2013: Member of the European Parliament of the Year, Category: Research and Innovation 2013: Honorary President of SME Europe , Overview of SME Europe, retrieved 9 June 2013. 2008: Member of the European Parliament of the Year, Category: Research and InnovationPlassnik congratulates Paul Ruebig on EU Award, Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, 10 October 2008 2003: Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of AustriaOverview of all awarded Decorations for Services to the Republic of Austria by the Federal President since 1952 (PDF; 6,9 MB)
Publications Mühlbacher, Hans / Rübig, Paul: Internationale Patent- und Lizenzpolitik, Marketingstudie 6. 1979. Rübig, Paul (ed.): Lizenzmarketing, Trauner Verlag, Herausgeber Kulhavy 1984. Kaspar, Achim / Rübig, Paul (eds.): Telekommunikation - Herausforderung für Österreich, Signum Verlag. 1997 Kaspar, Achim / Rübig, Paul (eds.): Telekommunikation II, Signum Verlag. 1999 Kaspar, Achim / Rübig, Paul (eds.): e-wwworld>2000, Linde Verlag. 2000 Kaspar, Achim / Rübig, Paul (eds.): Telekommunikation IV. Sternzeit 2010, Linde Verlag 2006 De Fouloy, Christian / Rübig, Paul: The way to a united Europe, Unicorn Verlag. 2004.
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