Open letter to Vice-President Maros Šefčovič on Mr Verheugen's activity with "The European Experience Company"

Publication date: 
Friday, February 4, 2011
Author: 
European Commission, secretariat general

Commission's reply to ALTER-EU's letter to Vice President Maros Šefčovič from 7 December 2010 in which ALTER-EU requests for access to documents (GESTDEM 2010/4468)

Correspondence between the European Commission's 'Ad Hoc Ethical Committee' (opinion delivered on 2 November 2010) and ex-commissioner Verheugen (his letter of 1 September 2010) that form the basis for the Commission's approval of Mr Verheugen's role in his lobby firm 'The European Experience Company', ander certain conditions. Read the full correspondence here.

Executive summary / policy recommendations: 

The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation in the European Union (ALTER-EU) calls on the European Commission to review its draft proposal for a new Code of Conduct for EU Commissioners and take into account its recommendations, which include the introduction of:

  • A clear definition of a conflict of interest;
  • A mandatory cooling-off period of at least three years for all former Commissioners to prevent them from engaging in any kind of lobbying activity.
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