Angelika Niebler (née Rupertseder; born 18 February 1963) is a German lawyer and politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 1999. She is a member of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, part of the European People's Party. Since 2015, she has been serving as her party's deputy chairwoman, under the leadership of successive chairmen Horst Seehofer and Markus Söder.
Education 1988: First state law examination 1991: Second state law examination 1992: Doctor of law, dissertation: Der Einsatz einer Expertensystemshell im Gesetzgebungsverfahren (English: "The use of expert systems in legislative procedure")
Professional career Niebler practiced with Lovells from 1991 to 1997 and – as Salary Partner – with Beiten Burkhardt from 1997 to 2004.Angelika Niebler wechselt zu Bird & Bird Bird & Bird, press release of September 1, 2004. From 2004 to 2015, she worked at Bird & Bird’s Munich office.Angelika Niebler wechselt zu Bird & Bird Bird & Bird, press release of September 1, 2004.Mary Jacoby and Glenn R. Simpson (July 5, 2005), Politics, Business Mix Freely In Europe Parliament The Wall Street Journal. In September 2015, she joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Munich office as of counsel, where she supports the firm's Media, Entertainment & Technology Group as well as the Privacy, Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection Group.European Parliament Member Angelika Niebler Joins Gibson Dunn in Munich Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, press release of September 7, 2015.
In addition to practicing law, Niebler has been a visiting lecturer on Intellectual / Industrial Property Rights (IPR) at the Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) since August 2016.
Political career Early political career since 1995: Member of the Upper Bavaria CSU district executive (since 2011 under the leadership of Ilse Aigner) since 1999: Chairman of the Women's Union of Upper Bavaria district and member of the Land executive of the Women's Union in Bavaria since 1999: Congress delegate and member of the executive, European People's Party since 1996: Member of Ebersberg district council
Member of the European Parliament, 1999–present Since 1999, Niebler has been a Member of the European Parliament, where she has since served as the CDU/CSU Group parliamentary business manager in the EPP-ED Group at the European Parliament, and as member of the CDU/CSU Group and EPP-ED Group Executive.
Niebler sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and its Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. She is a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.
Between 2007 and 2009, Niebler served as chairwoman of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy; she was later replaced by Herbert Reul.Simon Taylor (July 22, 2009), New-look Parliament carves up the top jobs European Voice. In 2006, she was the author of the industry committee's report on the seventh Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, totalling €50.5 billion.Jennifer Rankin (June 13, 2007), Mother of Parliament European Voice. From 2010 to 2012, she led the European Parliament's negotiations on overhauling European Union roaming regulations.Ian Wishart (March 28, 2012), EU reaches deal to ‘end mobile phone roaming rip-offs’ European Voice. She was her parliamentary group's shadow rapporteur on a non-binding 2021 motion in support of using “low-carbon hydrogen” made from fossil gas as a bridge towards 100% renewable production.Nikolaus J. Kurmayer (May 20, 2021), EU Parliament backs ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen, despite Green opposition Euractiv. Since 2021, she has been the parliament's lead rapporteur on the Data Governance Act.Luca Bertuzzi (July 16, 2021), Parliament committee adopts act ‘to build up a European data economy’ Euractiv.
In addition to her committee assignments, Niebler is part of the parliament's delegation for relations with the Gulf States, including Yemen. She is also a member of the European Internet Forum;Members European Internet Forum. the European Parliament Intergroup on the Digital Agenda;Members of the European Parliament on the Digital Agenda European Parliament. the European Parliament's Sky and Space Intergroup (SSI);Members of the European Parliament's Sky and Space Intergroup (SSI) European Parliament. and the European Parliament Intergroup on Biodiversity, Countryside, Hunting and Recreational Fisheries.Member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Biodiversity, Countryside, Hunting and Recreational Fisheries European Parliament.
In early 2014, the CSU chose Niebler to be the party list's number 2 for the 2014 European elections, following Markus Ferber.Dave Keating (January 27, 2014), German parties select European Parliament candidates European Voice. She later replaced Ferber as leader of the CSU MEPs after the party's poor showing in the elections.Toby Vogel (November 20, 2014), Manfred Weber – calm conciliator European Voice.
Role in national politics Ahead of the 2002 German federal election, Edmund Stoiber included Niebler in his shadow cabinet for the Christian Democrats’ campaign to unseat incumbent Gerhard Schröder as chancellor.Alexander Neubacher and Christoph Schult (February 18, 2002), Mann ohne Eigenschaften Der Spiegel.
Niebler later was a CSU delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2022. In 2015, Bavaria's Minister President Horst Seehofer nominated her as one of his deputies in the office of CSU chairman, making her part of the party's leadership. In the negotiations to form a fourth cabinet under Chancellor Angela Merkel following the 2017 federal elections, Niebler led the working group on families, alongside Annette Widmann-Mauz and Katarina Barley.
Other activities Corporate boards LVM Krankenversicherungs-AG, Member of the supervisory board (since 2015) Bavarian Savings Banks Association, Member of the advisory board (since 2009) Metabion International AG, Member of the supervisory board (since 2004)
Non-profit organizations Bavarian Economic Council, President (since 2018),Wiesheu zieht sich aus CSU-Wirtschaftsbeirat zurück Die Welt, November 19, 2018. Member of the Presidium (since 2008)Lawyers: Angelika Niebler, Of Counsel Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Alfons Goppel Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees European Academy of Bavaria, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees European Academy of Bavaria. European Energy Forum (EEF), Member European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants, Patron European Internet Foundation, Member of the Steering Committee German European Security Association (GESA), Founding Member German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), vice-president of the council (since 2014)SWP Council German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). German Women Lawyers Association (DJB), Member Hanns Seidel Foundation, Member of the Board (since 2014) Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees Ifo Institute for Economic Research. Max Planck Society, Member of the Senate Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Member of the Board of TrusteesAngelika Niebler wechselt zu Bird & Bird Bird & Bird, press release of September 1, 2004. Technical University of Munich, Member of the Board of Trustees TÜV SÜD Stiftung, Member of the Board of TrusteesPräsident der TU München ist neuer Vorsitzender des Kuratoriums der TÜV SÜD Stiftung Münchner Merkur, 18 January 2018. ZDF, Member of the Television Board (2000-2016)
Recognition 2017 – Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2016 – Politico Europe'''s The 40 MEPs who actually matter in 2016''Ryan Heath (May 19, 2016), The 40 MEPs who matter in 2016: #26 Angelika Niebler Politico Europe. 2011 – Bavarian Order of MeritLawyers: Angelika Niebler, Of Counsel Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. 2010 – Bavarian Constitutional Medal in Silver 2008 – Medal for Extraordinary Merits for Bavaria in a United EuropeLawyers: Angelika Niebler, Of Counsel Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
References
External links
FFII: Angelika Niebler and software patents