2001 he has been leader of the VVD-group in the European Parliament. The VVD members elected him as leader of the VVD list for the European elections of June 2004. Before his election as MEP Jules Maaten was Secretary General of the world union of liberal parties, the Liberal International, in London (1992–1999), during which time he was involved among others in supporting democratic movements in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe. Prior to that (1986–1991) he was a municipal councillor in his hometown Amstelveen, near Amsterdam, where he dealt with public finance education and social affairs. As President of the World Union of Liberal IFLRY (1983–1989) he worked on issues of disarmament and east–west co-operation. He began his political activities in 1979 as Personal Assistant of a Member of Parliament in the Netherlands (1979–1981), and as Member and Chairman of the European Youth Policy group of the Dutch International Youth Council, in which Dutch youth organisations discussed their views on the future of European unification. A year later Jules Maaten became national Board Member of the Dutch Young Liberals JOVD (1980–1984) and in 1981 joined the board of IFLRY. In 1982 he joined the executive committee of the Youth Forum of the European Communities in Brussels (a European-wide body of youth organisations), and he was on the staff of the Netherlands committee for the UN International Youth Year (1983–1985) where he dealt with such issues as unemployment and youth culture. From 1985 to 1989 he was a member of the executive committee of Liberal International. In 1987 he co-authored a book on Dutch liberalism, and he published numerous articles on political and international issues. For a number of years he studied History and Law in Amsterdam. He lives in Berlin (Germany) and is married to Eva Horstmann; together they have a daughter Anna (2002). Career 1978-1979: History student (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) 1978-1979: Journalist, Amstelveens Nieuwsblad 1979-1981: Personal assistant, Tweede Kamer House of Representatives (Netherlands) 1979-1985: Foundation course in international law (University of Amsterdam) 1980-1984: International Officer, Dutch Young Liberals (Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy JOVD) executive 1983-1986: Staff assistant, National Working Party on the UN International Youth Year, Amsterdam 1983-1989: Chairman of International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) 1985-1989: Member of executive of European Political Youth Council 1986-1991: Member of Amstelveen Municipal Council 1992-1999: Secretary-General, Liberal International, London 1999-2009: Member of the European Parliament in the