This month the European Commission for the first time ever blocked an ex-Commissioner from taking up a job in the private sector. The former Internal Market Commission Charles McCreevy had to resign from his directorship at London-based banking start-up NBNK after Catherine Day, the Secretary General of the Commission informed him that the Commission was unable to approve the post. She told McCreevy that “should he wish to pursue this activity, a negative decision will be submitted to the Commission for adoption” on October 4. This was after the Ad Hoc Ethic’s Committee set up to advise the Commission on ex-Commissioners potential conflicts of interests issued a negative opinion on August 24. Corporate Europe Observatory has identified some key lessons to be learned from the events leading up to McCreevy's resignation - read the article here:
