Étienne Davignon

Viscount Étienne Davignon (born 04 October 1932, Budapest, Hungary) is one of the six most central members of the Transnational Elite.According to Carroll and Carson the other five are Peter Sutherland, Minoro Murofushi, Percy Barnevik Paul Allaire and Bertrand Collomb. See William K. Carroll & Colin Carson, "Forging a New Hegemony? The Role of Transnational Policy Groups in the Network and Discourses of Global Corporate Governance," Journal of World systems Research, Vol. 9 No. 1, Winter 2003.
==Background==
Davignon is closely associated with the promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Europe. European Commission President Manuel Barroso, addressing the CSR Europe marketplace on CSR in 2005 credited Davignon as a key driver of the CSR agenda.CSR Europe, Speech by European Commission President Barroso March 3-4 at CSR Europe's MarketPlace on CSR in Brussels, Web Archive 15 August 2007, accessed 17 March 2010. 
Davignon was Vice President of the European Economic Community's Commission and Commissioner for Industry from 1977 until 1984. From this post Davignon played an indispensable role in the formation of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), a highly influential group composed of the leaders of 40+ multinational companies. Together with Volvo's Pehr Gyllenhammar, Davignon drew up the first list of potential members, inside the Berlaymont building. Davignon personally recruited most of the members of the original group of ERT. The first associates of ERT developed the organisation's agenda from inside Berlaymont, in the presence of Mr. Davignon.Green Cowles, Maria, "Setting the Agenda for a New Europe: The ERT and EC 1992," Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol.33, No. 4; December 1995, p.504-505.Greenwood, Justin, Interest Representation in the European Union, Palgrave - Macmillan, Hampshire and New York 2003, page 80.
==Affiliations==
*Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Head (1964-1969)
*International Energy Agency, Chairman of the Executive Committee (1974-1977)
*European Economic Community, Vice President in charge of industry, research and energy 1977-1985)
*Societe Generale de Belgique (1985-2003); President (1989-2001); Vice Chairman (2001-2003)Davignon becomes President after the Suez Group take-over.
*European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), prominent member representing the Suez-owned Societe Generale de Belgique
*SUEZ-TRACTABEL SA (Suez subsidiary), Belgium, Vice President (2003-presentMarch 2010.)
*European Institute
*Friends of Europe, President
*Chairman of Compagnie Maritime Belge, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, Recticel, Sibeka, SN Airholding and Palais des Beaux-Arts (Belgium), Director of Accor (France), Cumerio, Real Software, Sofina SA, SN Brussels Airlines (Belgium), and Gilead (United States)Suez Group, Etienne Davignon, Web Archive 31 December 2007, accessed 17 March 2010. 
*Bilderberg Group, Chairman
*CSR Europe, Chairman
*Suez Group, member of boardAccording to the Suez website, Davignon holds 11,111 Suez shares, which are currently worth more than 350,000 euro.Suez Group, Etienne Davignon, Web Archive 31 December 2007, accessed 17 March 2010.
*European Union, Special adviser to the Development Commissioner Louis MichelSee Financial Times article on Davignon's post and the possible of conflicting interests it leads to: Bounds, Andrew, "EU adviser's role questioned]," Financial Times, 06 March 2007, accessed 17 March 2010.
*GDF SUEZ, Director (16 July 2008 - presentMarch 2010)
==Resources==
*Bounds, Andrew, "EU adviser's role questioned]," Financial Times, 06 March 2007, accessed 17 March 2010.
*Corporate European Observatory Viscount Etienne Davignon Curriculum Vitae, accessed 21 August 2007.
*GDF SUEZ, Board members, Biographies, accessed 17 March 2010.</ref>
*Green Cowles, Maria, "Setting the Agenda for a New Europe: The ERT and EC 1992," Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol.33, No. 4; December 1995, p.504-505.
*Greenwood, Justin, Interest Representation in the European Union, Palgrave - Macmillan, Hampshire and New York 2003, page 80.
*Suez Group, Etienne Davignon, Web Archive 31 December 2007, accessed 17 March 2010.
==Notes==
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