| Author (Corporate) | European Ombudsman |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Press Release |
| Series Details | EO/16/08 (12.07.16) |
| Publication Date | 12/07/2016 |
| Content Type | News |
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The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, called on the European Commission in July 2016 to strengthen the rules that governed work that Commission Presidents and former Commissioners undertake after leaving office. She noted the controversy over the appointment of ex-Commission President José Manuel Barroso to chairman of Goldman Sachs International, and the most recent relevant case dealt with by her office. In September 2016 the European Ombudsman welcomed Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s decision to refer the issue of Mr Barroso’s appointment as adviser and non-executive chairman at Goldman Sachs to the European Commission’s Ad Hoc Ethical Committee. In reply to a letter from Ms O'Reilly, Mr Juncker pledged to ask for details of Mr Barroso’s responsibilities as well as the terms of reference of his contract which will then be assessed by the Ad Hoc Ethical Committee. Meanwhile, Mr Barroso dismissed claims his new job broke ethics rules as ‘baseless’ and ‘discriminatory’. The European Parliament held a related debate on the business ties of past and present European Commissioners and the recent 'Bahamas' leaks in plenary on the 4 October 2016 with European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici. They called for the code of conduct for European Commissioners be tightened up, in order to prevent conflicts of interest for Commission members, and to help restore the faith of European citizens in political institutions. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/press/release.faces/en/69172/html.bookmark |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
