By Martin Banks - 2nd September 2010
We expressed our concerns
Friends of the Earth Europe
The European commission's ethical committee will be asked to rule on claims that the institution's former vice president Günter Verheugen is guilty of a conflict of interest.
The case concerns the German official's decision to launch a lobbying consultancy, "the European Experience company", after he left his EU post.
Friends of the Earth Europe say that his new role is a "clear breach" of the rules set up by the code of conduct for EU commissioners.
It says he failed to notify the commission of the new company as former commissioners are required to do when they leave office.
In a new twist, it has emerged that Verheugen actually wrote to the commission on Wednesday to formally inform the executive of his new role.
A commission spokesman told this website that Verheugen's correspondence came in response to the commission contacting him on Monday to ask for an explanation.
The spokesman said, "We have now received a letter from the former commissioner which will be forwarded to the ethics committee.
"It will decide if it believes there has been a possible conflict of interest and will then forward its opinion to the college of commissioners for a final decision."
Verheugen is the former enterprise and industry commissioner and vice president of the executive
Friends of the Earth had earlier voiced disquiet about his role, since leaving office, with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
It says, "We expressed our concerns that such a move, if approved, would constitute a potential case of conflict of interest.We also stressed that, by failing to notify the commission about his new position in the private sector early in advance, he had breached the guidelines of the current code of conduct for commissioners."
In July 2010, the commission nonetheless approved the move of Verheugen to RBS and to three other positions.
The European Experience Company promotes 'expertise and vast experience in the area of EU policy and foreign affairs; creative solutions and the best strategy for your success in dealing with European institutions” and mentions providing 'briefing sessions and written briefings for top leaders of public and private institutions and enterprises."
Friends of the Earth says Verheugen's position with the company constitutes a breach of the code of conduct, as "these activities fall in the scope of the European commission broad definition of lobbying as: all 'activities carried out with the objective of influencing the policy formulation and decision-making processes of the European institutions."
The group says, "The European Experience Company clearly provides services that support lobbying and access to decision-makers."
In the "light of these facts," it has written to commission president José Manuel Barroso asking him not to approve Verheugen's new role.
Paul de Clerck, coordinator of the Economic Justice Programme at Friends of the Earth Europe, said, "Earlier this year Verheugen already took on four positions in the private sector, some of them including lobby work.
"Now he has taken it a step further with setting up his own private lobby consultancy which builds on his contacts in the commission and provides lobby support to clients.
"Verheugen did not inform the commission about this new job, thereby breaching the code of conduct for commissioners.
"Friends of the Earth Europe urges the commission not to approve this move and to improve the code of conduct by introducing a mandatory cooling-off period of at least two years for all former commissioners."
