Finn Olav Gundelach

Finn Olav Gundelach (23 April 1925 – 13 January 1981) was a Danish diplomat and European Commissioner who served as Vice-President of the European Commission from 6 January 1977 until his death on 13 January 1981.

Finn Olav Gundelach
Gundelach in 1980
Vice-President of the European Commission
In office 6 January 1977 – 13 January 1981 Serving with Wilhelm Haferkamp and Henk Vredeling
President	Roy Jenkins Gaston Thorn
European Commissioner for Internal Market and Customs Union
In office 6 January 1973 – 5 January 1977
President	François-Xavier Ortoli Roy Jenkins Gaston Thorn
Preceded by	Wilhelm Haferkamp
Succeeded by	Étienne Davignon
Personal details
Born	(1925-04-23)23 April 1925
Died	13 January 1981(1981-01-13) (aged 55)
Alma mater	University of Aarhus

Gundelach was educated from the University of Aarhus in 1951. From 1955 to 1959 he was the Danish ambassador to the United Nations. In 1959 he was named director of the trade branch of GATT and vice director of the entire GATT in 1965. He left GATT in 1967 in order to become Danish ambassador to the EC.^[1]

In 1973 he was named as the first Danish European Commissioner by prime minister Anker Jørgensen. He was commissioner from 6 January 1973 until his death in 1981 from a sudden heart attack.^[2][3][4]

References

1. Bjøl, Erling (7 December 2011). "Finn Gundelach". Lex.dk (in Danish). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
2. Okkels, Simone (28 June 2014). "Hvem skal Thorning udpege som dansk EU-kommissær?". Berlingske (in Danish).
3. "EC Agriculture Commissioner Finn Gundelach Dies" (PDF). European Community Information Service. 14 January 1981.
4. Thisgaard, Jesper (1 September 2014). "Her er de danske kommissærer gennem tiderne". Berlingske (in Danish). Retrieved 21 November 2024.

Political offices
Preceded by Wilhelm Haferkamp as European Commissioner for Internal Market and Energy	European Commissioner for the Internal Market and the Customs Union 1973–1977	Succeeded by Étienne Davignon as European Commissioner for the Internal Market, the Customs Union and Industrial Affairs
Preceded by -	Danish European Commissioner 1973–1977	Succeeded by Poul Dalsager