15/09/2023 - Passing of Jean-Paul Gauzès, former EFRAG Board President

​It is with great sadness we received news of the death of Jean-Paul Gauzès, who was the EFRAG Board President for two consecutive terms from 2016 to 2022. After a career as an MEP, Jean-Paul joined EFRAG as Board President. He will be remembered for initiating the governance reform that created a new sustainability reporting pillar ensuring European Sustainability Reporting Standards are being developed using an inclusive and rigorous process Simultaneously, he also ensured that EFRAG continued to provide the highest quality work in its financial reporting mandate.

Jean-Paul had a bright and influential political career at the national level in his role as a regional elected politician in France and at the European level in his role as an MEP before becoming the EFRAG Board President.
He was the first EFRAG Board President nominated in 2016 by the EC after the Maystadt reform of EFRAG. He will be remembered for his great and multi-fold contribution to EFRAG and for the EFRAG governance reform.  He fulfilled a pivotal role in creating a new sustainability pillar, which was a key step towards EFRAG’s appointment as technical advisor to the EC tasked with the responsibility to develop draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards under the CSRD. He also played a major role in EFRAG’s financial reporting mandate. Notably, under his watch, EFRAG delivered endorsement advice to the European Commission on several major IFRS standards including IFRS 16 Leases and IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts.
From 2004 till 2014 Jean-Paul was a member of the European Parliament. During the whole of this period, he was a member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). From 2008 to 2014 he was the Coordinator of the European People’s Party (EPP) Group in ECON.
Jean-Paul was also an honorary member of the Bar at the Conseil d’État and the Cour de Cassation in France. From 1998 till 2007 he was a member of the Executive Board and Tax and Legal Director of Dexia Crédit Local. From 1973 till 1998 he worked as a lawyer and legal counsel in France.

The EFRAG Secretariat sends its deepest and heartfelt condolences to his family.

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​Hans Buysse, EFRAG Administrative Board President said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the recent death of my good friend and colleague, Jean-Paul. I worked very closely with him during my time as Vice President of the Board, and I highly valued the spirit of consensus he managed to keep throughout his tenure. It was a privilege to work with him. EFRAG benefited from his outstanding leadership as its first President under the Maystadt reform. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.” Wolf Klinz, EFRAG Financial Reporting Board Chair stated: “I am very sorry to learn about the passing of my predecessor and former colleague as an MEP, Jean-Paul. He will be remembered as a convinced European in both heart and mind. It Is with this spirit that we worked closely together in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Together we managed to steer many difficult files through the legislative process.”

Patrick de Cambourg, EFRAG Sustainability Reporting Board Chair, stated: “It was a privilege to work with Jean-Paul when I was a member of the EFRAG (Financial Reporting) Board and as Chair of the Project Task Force on European Sustainability Reporting Standards (PTF-ESRS). With the key achievement of creating the EFRAG sustainability reporting pillar, he will be remembered as a key figure who contributed to the establishment and success of sustainability reporting in the EU and helped Europe to have a leadership position in this area. I lost a friend. We lost a great European. I would like to express condolences to his family and wish them courage and peace during this time of mourning.”

Saskia Slomp, EFRAG CEO, said: “The passing away of Jean-Paul came as a shock. For all of us and especially those that worked close with him during his six years of EFRAG Board Presidentship this is a great loss only one year after his mandate ended. We worked together intensively during these years with daily contact.  I am proud to have supported him in his EFRAG function together with colleagues.  It has been a great opportunity to work with a man of high calibre as Jean-Paul and to benefit from his inspiring thoughts, wisdom and experience.”