Rulemaking Director - Jules A.J.M. Kneepkens

Jules Kneepkens
Jules Kneepkens

Jules Kneepkens was born in 1955 and is a Dutch national. After graduating from the Utrecht University in Social Sciences with a focus on International Political Relations and Development Co-operation (University of Amsterdam), Mr Kneepkens started his professional career in 1983 as a project manager in development aid and became soon the Chairman of a secular European network of non-governmental organisations in Brussels.

From 1990 to 1991 he was working for a member of the Dutch parliament. After that he joined the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management first as Head of the Management and Infrastructure Strategy Division and as of 1996 as Head of the Environment and Country Planning in the Ministry's Civil Aviation Division.

In 2002 he was appointed Director Civil Aviation and International Affairs of the Dutch Directorate of Civil Aviation and Transport where he was responsible for safety, security, international aviation policy, environmental issues, air traffic management and privatisation of airports. At the beginning of 2007 Mr Kneepkens assumed the position of Director General Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Belgium. In both positions he was a member of the EASA Management Board and held functions as Vice-President of Eurocontrol, board member of the JAA-Board, Chair of the European Security Institute EASTI, Advisory Board member of the Safety Training Institute EASTO in the Netherlands, Chair of the Steering Group Functional Airspace Block Central Europe, Chair of 'International Financial Facility Safety' (IFFAS) established by ICAO.

Jules Kneepkens was appointed Rulemaking Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency as of 1 September 2008 by the Agency's Management Board.

He is married and has two children

EASA Directors