About Sharon Bowles

Having been elected third to the Liberal Democrats list for the South-East European Elections in June 2004, Sharon became a member of the European Parliament in May 2005, replacing Chris Huhne who stood down following his election in Eastleigh in the 2005 General Election.

Date and Place of Birth:

12 June 1953, Oxford

Education:

Our Lady's Convent, Abingdon; Reading University (Chemical Physics with Mathematics); Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University (research into semiconductors)

Professional Qualifications:

Chartered Patent Attorney; Registered Trade Mark Agent; European Patent Attorney ; Professional Representative before the Office for Harmonization of the Single Market (European Trade Mark and Designs Office)

Career:

After training for professional qualification with leading London firms, established new professional practice in 1981, now the Bowles Horton partnership. Has drafted and prosecuted patents for leading edge companies over a wide range of technical fields including integrated circuit design and production, internet technology, satellite equipment, telecommunications, optical fibre technology, fermentation measurement, aerodynamics and hydrocarbon extraction.

Political:

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Aylesbury, 1992 and 1997; Liberal Democrat European Candidate for Buckinghamshire and Oxford East, 1994; third on Liberal Democrat European List for SE region, 1999 and 2004, became MEP for SE region, May 2005.

Co-Chair of Liberal Democrat International Relations Committee, elected Vice-President and bureau member of ELDR Party in 2004 and Vice-President of Liberal International in 2005.

Co-Founder of the Association of Liberal Democrat Engineers and Scientists; Member of Anti-Slavery International.

European Parliament:

On arrival in May 2005 Sharon became a full member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs committee and in February 2006 was central in the formation of the Committee of Inquiry into the crisis of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. As shadow rapporteur for ALDE, Sharon has been key player in the Payment Services Directive (PSD) negotiations. As rapporteur she is leading for the Parliament on fiscal fraud and has recently been appointed shadow rapporteur on Solvency II. However, her technical and professional experience has meant she has been involved in a range of matters spread over many other committees. She took an active part in the latter stages of the debate on Computer Implemented Inventions and has been closely following all matters relating to Intellectual Property.

In January 2007 Sharon also became a substitute member of the Legal Affairs committee.

Personal:

Married to Andrew Horton (European Patent Attorney), with sons Remy (1981), researching for PhD in wireless internet technology at Bristol University and Damian (1982), graduate mathematician (Oxford) with MSc in industrial mathematics at Bristol University and now working in the City as a bonds analyst. Competed at national/international level in rowing and archery.