It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the unexpected passing of our dear colleague and friend, Cornelius Rhein.
Many of us have known Cornelius over the years and held him in the highest regard—not only for his professionalism and dedication, but also for his warmth, great humour, generosity and friendship. Cornelius was a kind-hearted and principled individual, whose positive spirit left a lasting impression on us all. His passing is a tremendous loss, and he will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
Cornelius joined the European Commission in 2000 and spent the last 15 years serving in DG Environment and later DG CLIMA. As a long-standing delegate to the meetings of the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, he was a driving force behind the European Union’s engagement with the Protocol, contributing significantly to the development of the Kigali Amendment and playing a central role in shaping and implementing the EU’s Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS) and F-gas Regulations. He was a key negotiator on many issues, including on strengthening Montreal Protocol institutions. His expertise and commitment to atmospheric and environmental protection were instrumental in advancing international ozone and climate policy.
Cornelius was also a member of the steering committee of the European Union-funded pilot project on regional quantification of emissions of substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol. He was instrumental in securing support for the expansion of atmospheric monitoring that is resulting in the strengthening of the global capacity to track and reduce emissions of harmful gases.
Cornelius served with distinction as President of the Montreal Protocol’s Implementation Committee in 2021, and as its Vice-President and Rapporteur in 2020. His leadership and diplomacy in these roles reflected his deep commitment to multilateral environmental cooperation.
All the invaluable contributions Cornelius made to the Montreal Protocol are enormously appreciated. He will be sorely missed by the Ozone Family, and he will be remembered with utmost respect, gratitude and affection.
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A memorial service will be held on Thursday, 6 November at 11:30 am at the German Catholic Parish of Sankt Paulus, located at Av. de Tervueren 221, Brussels. His funeral will take place in Eichstätt, Germany, on Monday, 10 November. His family has indicated that given his love for forests and nature, instead of ordering flowers, you could make a donation to the Green Forest Fund (GREEN FOREST FUND e.V. IBAN: DE94430609671067905300 BIC: GENODEM1GLS).
An electronic condolence book is now available by the European Union for those who wish to share their memories and messages, which will later be presented to his family. To access the condolence book and leave a tribute, memories, photos please click here.
