If the European Parliament adopts an amendment proposed by several MEPs, it is possible that on Thursday 1 December in Brussels, it will call for the code of conduct for Commissioners to be changed. This modification could extend the transition period to three years for all Commissioners after they have left their posts. During this time, they will not be able to assume important corporate roles.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission proposed extending the current eighteen months “retirement” period to two years for former Commissioners and to three years for former Presidents of the Commission (see EUROPE 11674).
On Thursday 1 December, Parliament will vote on the report by Pascal Durand (Greens/EFA, France) that seeks to introduce guidelines on declarations of interests for Commission members. This report suggests an efficient procedure for preventing conflicts of interest at the European Commission (see EUROPE 11646).
A single amendment submitted by several MEPs will be put to a vote on Thursday calling for the code of conduct be amended and “to extend Commissioners’ post-office employment restriction to a period of at least three years and not shorter than the length of time during which former Commissioners are eligible for a transitional allowance” (currently three years).
According to one source, this amendment (suggested by the Greens/EFA group) “should go through” because it will have the backing of ALDE and S&D MEPs as well as the shadow rapporteur, Tadeusz Zwiefka (EPP, Poland).
The core of Mr Durand’s report does not focus on the code of contact for Commissioners but the rules followed by Parliament for checking Commissioners’ financial interests. The report includes the possibility of Parliament suspending the appointment procedure for a new Commissioner if the appointee has not provided the additional information requested for preventing conflicts of interest. Controls on conflicts of interests would be organised throughout the whole mandate and not just when Commissioners are appointed.
Parliament's requests contained in Mr Durand’s report will be included in the report by Richard Corbett (S&D, United Kingdom) on the general review Parliament's regulation (see EUROPE 11663). The new rules will enter into force in January 2017, therefore, after the hearings for Commissioner Günther Oettinger. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)