Brussels tightens commissioners’ code of conduct

The European Commission is revamping the code of conduct for commissioners.

This follows harsh criticism last year after a number of former commissioners, including Joe Borg, took up consultancy jobs in Brussels right after their stint in office ended.

Former Commissioners will be discouraged from taking up jobs related to their former portfolio up to 18 months after their departure from the Commission. If they wish to do so, they will need to get the green light from the Commission’s ethics committee, although they will still be prevented from lobbying their former employees on behalf of consultancy groups.

The new code includes restrictions on what type of gifts and hospitality commissioners can accept. Free travel or stays in villas or on yachts will be heavily restricted.

“Commissioners shall not accept hospitality except when in accordance with diplomatic and courtesy usage”.

The new rules also bar commissioners from employing any directly related members of their family, including spouses or partners, in their private secretariats.

In cases where there is any potential conflict of interest while in office, commissioners, colleagues would take over the task in hand.

Dr Borg, who served as European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, took up a consultancy post with a Brussels-based public affairs consultancy firm, Fipra, which was involved in lobbying the Commission on maritime affairs issues.

The EU Executive had given its consent to Dr Borg and dismissed claims of any conflict of interest.

Commissioners are the most highly paid officials in the EU, with a net salary of about €220,000 in addition to a pack-age of handsome perks and allowances.

At the end of their term, all commissioners are entitled to a lucrative golden-handshake package which amounts to more than €130,000 annually for the first three years after leaving office to “help them reintegrate into the employment market”. Upon reaching retirement age at 65 years, they are entitled to a pension equal to 75 per cent of the full salary of a commissioner.

Transparency lobby groups described the changes as “cosmetic” and said they wanted to see much more being done to prevent conflicts of interest. They called for a total ban on former commissioners working in areas related to their portfolios.