Civil society open letter to Commissioner Šefčovič
We are aware that the EU institutions already have rules which are meant to prevent conflicts of interest from arising when staff leave or join the European institutions, but we are concerned that they are not sufficiently effective and are not being correctly implemented. This has been highlighted in a recent report by the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) with gives several specific examples.(1)
In addition, there is concern that the staff from the EU institutions are not always aware of their obligations as set out in the Staff Regulations; that some staff are excluded from consideration under the rules; and that the European institutions are reluctant to implement cooling-off periods.
We also note that there is little proactive transparency surrounding this area.
1) Alter-EU. Block the revolving door: why we need to stop EU officials becoming lobbyists. November 2011.
