On Wednesday 13 September, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, presented a new code of conduct that will apply to Commissioners from 1 February 2018 (see EUROPE 11862).
Just over a year on from the scandal caused by José Manuel Barrose's 'revolving door' career move to Goldman Sachs, the Commission has proposed a new code that will be put to the European Parliament for consultation.
The cooling-off period before taking up a new professional activity has been extended from 18 months to two years for Commissioners and to three years for the President of the Commission. During this period, former members of the Commission will be required to notify the institution before taking up a new post and will be subject to restrictions on certain activities, for instance anything involving lobbying members of the Commission.
Conflicts of interest. The new code defines a conflict of interest. If former Commissioners plan to work in areas that are related to their former portfolios, they must first consult the Independent Ethical Committee. Stricter rules will apply to the financial interests of Commissioners, who will be required to declare any investment of more than €10,000. To enforce the code, the College will be assisted by a new reinforced Independent Ethical Committee. In the event of any breach of the code that does not justify taking the matter to the Court of Justice, the Commission will be able to express a reprimand. Finally, the European Commissioners' travel expenses will be published every two months. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)