Dr Christian Ehler has been a Member of the European Parliament for Brandenburg since 2004 and belongs to the Group of the European People's Party (EPP/CDU).

He has been a Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) for over ten years and has been its coordinator for the EPP since the beginning of this legislative period. As rapporteur for Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) and Horizon Europe (2021-2027) Dr Christian Ehler is considered one of the leading figures in the design and implementation of the European Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation. He is the initiator of the ITRE working group on the implementation of the Framework Programmes, which ensures close parliamentary scrutiny of Europe's research and innovation funding. Furthermore, Dr Christian Ehler is Chair of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), European Parliament.

In addition to his engagement in the field of research an innovation, in the European Parliament Dr Christian Ehler is also Member of the US Delegation and substitute Member of the Committee on Culture and Education, the Delegation for relations with Israel and the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.