Formal complaint on Barroso, Kroes, De Gucht revolving door cases

29 September 2016
by altereu -- last modified 29 September 2016

The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) today launched a complaint to European Comission President Juncker about his handling of the revolving door moves of several former commissioners.

Specifically the letter:

• Criticises the delay in the Commission's action regarding former President Barroso's move to Goldman Sachs International
• Makes a formal complaint of maladministration regarding the Commission's inaction on the job moves by ex-commissioners Neelie Kroes (Uber, Salesforce) and Karel De Gucht (ArcelorMittal)
• Demands urgent action from the Commission to revise the Code of Conduct for Commissioners, and to sanction Neelie Kroes for the revelations in the recent BahamasLeaks
• Makes a formal complaint of maladministration regarding the appointment of two Commission special advisers to the Ad-hoc Ethical Committee.

Speaking on behalf of ALTER-EU, Vicky Cann from Corporate Europe Observatory said:

"The Commission's summer of scandals has shown that the revolving door between the EU institutions and the private sector is a real threat to the integrity of the institutions. And MEPs, civil society and citizens are quickly losing patience with the Commission's approach to this issue.

"Action on Barroso's move to Goldman Sachs International has been glacially slow, while we there has been no action whatsoever on Kroes' and De Gucht's revolving doors moves. At the same time, the July 2016 decision by the College of Commissioners to appoint two of its own special advisers to its ethics committee defies belief.

"When there are breaches of the rules or the treaties, swift sanctions must follow. Commissioners' ethics rules must be overhauled and decision making on these matters must be taken out of the hands of the Commission and given to a truly independent body. Such steps are essential if the EU's executive hopes to mend its battered reputation."

The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) is a coalition of over 200 public interest groups and trade unions concerned with the increasing influence exerted by corporate lobbyists on the political agenda in Europe, the resulting loss of democracy in EU decision-making and the postponement, weakening, or blockage even, of urgently needed progress on social, environmental and consumer-protection reforms.

Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU)