Catherine Day facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catherine Day
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| Secretary General of the European Commission | |
| In office 10 November 2005 – 1 September 2015 |
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| President | José Manuel Barroso Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Preceded by | David O'Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Italianer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 June 1954 Dublin, Ireland |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Catherine Day was born on June 16, 1954, in Mount Merrion, Dublin, Ireland. She is a former important official who worked for the European Union.
In November 2005, Catherine Day became the Secretary-General of the European Commission. This is like being the top manager for the European Union's main office. She worked with two different Presidents of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso and Jean-Claude Juncker. She retired in September 2015. Catherine Day was the first woman to hold this very important job.
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Education and Early Career
Catherine Day studied at University College Dublin. She earned a degree in Economics in 1974. The next year, in 1975, she got her Master's degree in International Trade and Economic Integration.
After finishing her studies, Catherine worked in Dublin. She first worked at the Investment Bank of Ireland. Then, she worked for the Confederation of Irish Industry, which helps businesses in Ireland.
Working for Europe
In 1979, Catherine Day joined the European Commission. This is the part of the European Union that proposes laws and manages policies. She started in a department that dealt with industry.
Later, she worked closely with important European officials. She was part of the teams (called "cabinets") for Mr. Richard Burke, Mr. Peter Sutherland, and Sir Leon Brittan. She even became the deputy head of Sir Leon Brittan's team.
Expanding the European Union
In the mid-1990s, Catherine Day helped with a big project. This was about letting more countries join the European Union. These new countries were from central and eastern Europe. She helped create the steps these countries needed to take to prepare for joining the EU.
In 2000, she became a deputy director-general in the department for External Relations. This meant she helped manage the EU's relationships with countries outside the Union. She focused on areas like the Balkans, Russia, and other nearby European countries.
Protecting the Environment
In 2002, Catherine Day became the Director General for Environment. This was a very important role where she helped protect nature and the planet. She worked with Commissioners Margot Wallström and Stavros Dimas.
She played a big part in creating the EU's REACH legislation. These are rules that make sure chemicals are used safely. She also helped develop the EU's plans for fighting climate change and using more renewable energy.
Leading the European Commission
In November 2005, Catherine Day was chosen to be the Secretary-General of the European Commission. In this role, she helped make sure all the different departments of the Commission worked well together. She also improved how the EU made new rules and checked if policies were working.
She was a key person in planning the EU's budget for 2014-2020. This budget decides how the EU spends its money over several years. She also led the Commission's work on the European Semester. This is a process where EU countries coordinate their economic and social plans.
Catherine Day finished her term as Secretary-General in September 2015. After that, she worked as a special advisor to the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, until 2018.
Other Important Roles
After her time at the European Commission, Catherine Day took on other important leadership roles:
- From 2015 to 2019, she led the governing body of University College Cork in Ireland.
- Since 2017, she has been the head of the board of trustees for the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin. This is a famous museum and library.
- She is also on the boards of European Movement Ireland and the Institute of International and European Affairs.
- She is a member of the Royal Irish Academy, which is a group of top scholars in Ireland.
From 2017 to 2019, Catherine Day led a group that looked at how volunteer organizations help with health services in Ireland. In 2019, she was chosen to lead the Irish Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality. This group discusses important issues and gives advice to the government. She also chaired an Expert Group on Direct Provision in December 2019.
Honours and Awards
Catherine Day has received many awards for her important work:
- She was given the Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold from Belgium.
- She has received special honorary doctorates from University College Dublin, Griffith College Dublin, and the University of Limerick.
- In 2014, she received the President of Ireland Distinguished Service Award.
- In 2015, she was awarded the Garret Fitzgerald Gold Medal for International Relations.
- Also in 2015, she received the UCD Foundation Medalist award.
