Brussels, 14/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament (EP), which is made up of EP President Jerzy Buzek and the leaders of the various political groups, were quite positive in their welcome on Thursday 10 February for the draft code of conduct for European commissioners. The code, which should come into force, if everything goes according to plan, in the next few weeks, was presented to MEPS by Commission President José Manuel Barroso.
The EPP states that the draft code of conduct is a move in the right direction, towards something more ethical and with stricter rules, in particular when commissioners leave office. Klaus-Heiner Lehne (EPP, Germany), Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, will now lead negotiations with the Commission on behalf of the EP. Discussions will end with an exchange of letters between Barroso and Buzek.
The current code of conduct requires former commissioners to inform the Commission of the jobs they have been proposed during the first 12 months after leaving office. The new code proposes extending the period during which former commissioners need Commission approval before beginning a new activity to 18 months. The Greens/EFA Group wants the period extended to two years (and some NGOs would like three years).
Joint leader of the Greens/EFA Rebecca Harms said that “a mere cosmetic revision, which is decided on by the commissioners themselves, simply will not fly. For this reason, we want to ensure the full involvement of the European Parliament in the revision”. The Greens also want: - clearer definition of “conflict of interests”; - the Commission's ad hoc ethics committee to operate totally independently of the European Commission president. The Greens are demanding that, if a former commissioner takes up a new post, the temporary allowance paid should amount only to the difference between his/her new salary and what he/she was paid as a commissioner (unlike the current system which allows the full payment of the commissioner's transitional allowance). L.C./transl.rt)