Luxembourg, 07/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - Jean-Jacques Kasel has been appointed member of the European Court of Justice as from 14 January 2008, according to a European Council of Ministers of the EU press release (2007/811/EC). Romain Schingten, his predecessor, also from Luxembourg, resigned before the end of his mandate and Judge Kasel will occupy this post during the remaining period, up to 6 October 2009. During the 1980s, Kasel was director for the Council of Ministers' budget, which earned him the presidency of this committee in 1985 and post of deputy head of cabinet under his compatriot Gaston Thorn. At the end of 1986, he returned to Luxembourg, where he worked as political affairs director at the department of foreign affairs until 1992. Mr Kasel then became permanent representative for Luxembourg to the EU until 1998, when he then became Ambassador to Belgium and NATO. More recently (2002-06), he served as marshall at the Court of the Grand Duchy. Judge Schingten was born in 1939 and worked at the European Court for almost 20 years: from 1989-96 at the Court of First Instance and from 1996 at the Court of Justice. Although Kasel's career appears to have been less in the legal field than some of his colleagues, he is actually following the traditional Luxembourg line of appointments to the European Court. Pierre Pescatore and Jean Mischo from Luxembourg, for example, both occupied important positions at the Court (judge from 1967-85 and advocate general from 1986-91/1997-2003 respectively) after long careers spent mainly in the department of foreign affairs. (C.D.)