Věra Jourová

Věra Jourová is a Czech politician, businesswoman, and lawyer, who serves as the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality as a part of the Juncker Commission since October 2014. Previously, she was the Czech Minister for Regional Development and Member of the Chamber of Deputies (MP) from 2013 to 2014.

Jourová served as secretary and spokesperson of the Municipal Office of Vysočina Region, Czech Republic, from 1995 until 2000 and as Head of the Department of Regional Development for the Vysočina Region from 2001 to 2003. She entered national politics when she was tapped to work as Deputy Head of the Ministry of Regional Development, where she led the European Integration Section until March 2006. Her responsibilities included leading the Czech team that negotiated EU funds with the European Commission and European Investment Bank as well as managing EU funds in the Czech Republic.

Between 2006 and 2013, Jourová was an independent consultant providing advice on EU matters to the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Moldova.

Jourová was confirmed as the European Union's Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality as a part of the Juncker Commission. Her responsibilities include gender equality, judicial cooperation within the EU, and privacy concerns, including concluding negotiations on a comprehensive EU-U.S. Safe Harbor Agreement and working with the Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip to pass "EU data protection reform and by modernise and simplify consumer rules for online and digital purchases". In addition, her portfolio includes "overseeing remuneration rules across the City of London, enforcing EU pay curbs and bonus caps", and in 2018, Jourová was put in charge of drafting rules to assess the independence and functioning of a country’s judicial system as a condition for receiving funds from the budget of the European Union.