meet

22nd September 1972, Page 104

22nd September 1972

Page 104

Page 104, 22nd September 1972 — meet

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GCoter Krauss

• The tall, fair, impressively knowledgeable international civil servant of 57 who opened CM's own conference yesterday provides an excellent example of the wider career opportunities which the EEC has opened up. As head of the transport department for the Hamburg Land — or region — Dr Gunter Krauss had reached the top of the regional tree. Then North German interests successfully nominated him for a senior EEC Commission post.

Now, after two promotions, he is "director for the general development of the common transport policy". He controls four divisions — legal matters and external relations; economic, political, social and statistical; liaison with EEC institutions and international organizations, such as IRU; and access to the transport market.

Dr Krauss embodies, and endorses, the Commission view that while State intervention in transport must be reduced if productivity and service are to improve, transport cannot operate without restraints aimed at preventing ruinous competition. He does not see the free play of market forces as an acceptable alternative.

The young GUnter Krauss had his technical and economic work at Berlin Technical High School interrupted by the war, and when he was invalided out of the army six years later he was in Hamburg. There he successfully studied by night for this doctorate while working by day in a railway administration career which led to him becoming chief of Hamburg's huge port railway.

It was from here that he became the area's transport head, his many ancillary positions including membership of the typically German Federal Office for Long-distance Road Traffic; financed by the hauliers, this is run largely by State officials and is a body controlling rates, the entry of newcomers and so on.

Dr Krauss is a keen swimmer and cyclist; he carries a folding bike in his car boot and when in London does Sunday morning laps of Hyde Park. He is a dedicated family man, an enthusiastic reader, shares his wife's love of the theatre, is a nine fan with a yen to make his own film, and spends every spare Ill minute sailing in Holland. Fluent in French since he became an EEC official, he is studying English intensively to prepare for that big event which is due 100 days from now, B.C.