Revolving doors

RevolvingDoorWatch

RevolvingDoorWatch is a database of commissioners, MEPs and officials who have gone through the revolving door into lobby or industry jobs. Lobbyists who have taken jobs with the EU institutions are also featured. These cases raise big questions about whether the EU institutions are robust enough in recognising and acting upon the risk of conflicts of interest.

Contact us if you have info about new cases or follow #revolvingdoors

More info on the revolving door problem

RevolvingDoorWatch exposes how the EU institutions - the commission, parliament, council and agencies - fail to take effective action to block the revolving door. Brussels is home to one of the highest concentrations of political power in the world and the revolving door is one of the most important ways in which lobbyists can influence the political agenda in Brussels. When European decision-makers – commissioners, MEPs, officials - leave office and go into lobby jobs, or when lobbyists join the EU institutions, the risk of conflicts of interest can be great, undermining democratic, public-interest decision-making. It is the responsibility of the EU institutions to ensure that this does not happen. The EU institutions are not transparent about revolving doors, nor do they pro-actively publish information about how they monitor the revolving door.

RevolvingDoorWatch is a contribution to the ALTER-EU campaign to block the revolving door!

CEO and ALTER-EU demand tough, new rules to block the revolving door including:

  • A revised Code of Conduct for Commissioners to include a three year cooling-off period for Commissioners taking lobby jobs (or any other job which provokes the risk of a conflict of interest) and a revamped Commission ethics committee

  • A revised Code of Conduct for MEPs to include robust rules to regulate the revolving door

  • Further changes to the EU's Staff Regulations to better regulate the revolving door to include a two year cooling off period for officials; three years for the most senior officials

Name Policy area Former employer New employer Date Last updated
Marcus Lippold
Energy/Climate DG Energy, Advisor – EU International energy relations MOL Group + Saudi Aramco, Various Aug 2013 (updated)
Barbara Gallani
Food Food and Drink Federation, Director Policy and Sustainability and Chief Scientist European Food Safety Authority, Head of the Communications and External Relations Department May 2016 (new)
Tobias McKenney
IT European Commission, DG Internal Market, Policy advisor - copyright unit Google, European intellectual property manager Jun 2012 (updated)
Pablo Asbo
Argentina
Competition DG Competition (for 6 years), Case-handler Avisa Partners , Associate director on competition Mar 2011
Benita Ferrero-Waldner
Austria
General European Commission, Commissioner for external relations and then trade Munich Re, Gamesa Corporación Technologica, Alpine Holding, Supervisory board member Feb 2010 (updated)
Eddy Wymeersch
Belgium
Finance Committee of European Securities Regulators (CESR) , Chairman Non‐executive director and senior advisor , Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) Sep 2012
Karel De Gucht
Belgium
Trade European Commission, European commissioner for trade Proximus, Merit Capital NV, CVC Partners, ArcelorMittal, Member of the management board (updated)
Louis Michel
Belgium
Finance European Commission, Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid Credimo, Board member Jun 2010
Jean De Ruyt
Belgium
Trade Belgium Permanent Representation to the EU, Permanent Representative + Chair of the Committee of Perm Reps, 2010 Belgian Presidency of the Council Covington & Burling LLP, Senior European policy advisor Jan 2012
Suzy Renckens
Belgium
Food European Food Safety Authority, Head of GMO unit (for 5 years) Syngenta, Regional Manager for Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs May 2008
Herman Van Rompuy
Belgium
Business/Industry European Council, President TomorrowLab Advisory Board + European Policy Centre, Chairman Jan 2015
Parvez Khan
Britain
Finance UK Permanent Representation in Brussels (for 2 years), Financial attaché (on loan from UK Financial Services Authority where he worked for 5 years) G+ Europe (lobby consultancy), Associate Sep 2011
Ivan Rogers
Britain
Finance Barclays Capital, Head of the Public Sector Industry Group, UK and Ireland UK Government, UK Permanent Representative to the European Union (from Nov 2013); previously Prime Minister's Adviser on Europe and Global Issues (to Nov 2013) Oct 2011
David Harley
Britain
General European Parliament (since 1975), Deputy Secretary-General and Director-General of the Presidency Burson-Marsteller Brussels, Senior Adviser and now co-Chairman Apr 2010
John Richardson
Britain
Maritime affairs DG Maritime Affairs (for 35 years), Head of maritime policy taskforce Fipra (lobby consultancy), Special adviser - maritime policy and diplomacy Sep 2008
Derek Taylor
Britain
Energy/Climate DG Transport and Energy, Energy adviser Burson-Marsteller (lobby consultancy) + others, Adviser on energy issues Aug 2009
Meglena Kuneva
Bulgaria
Finance European Commission, Commissioner for consumer protection BNP Paribas, Non-executive member of the board May 2010
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Denmark
Security North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Secretary General Rasmussen Global, Consultant Oct 2014
Mogens Peter Carl
Denmark
Environment DG Environment, Director-General Kreab Gavin Anderson (lobby consultancy), Senior Adviser Feb 2010
Martin Bresson
Denmark
Finance Permanent Representation of Denmark, Counsellor on financial services during the Danish Presidency of the EU Fleishman-Hillard, Senior Policy Adviser to the financial services practice Sep 2012
Karin Riis-Jørgensen
Denmark
Tobacco European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 15 years) Kreab Gavin Anderson, Senior advisor
Emilie Turunen
Denmark
Finance European Parliament, Member of European parliament (for 5 years) Nykredit, Head of public affairs Sep 2014
Connie Hedegaard
Denmark
Energy/Climate European Commission, Commissioner for climate action 2010-2014 KR Foundation, Danfoss, Volkswagen + other roles, Various (some unpaid) Jan 2015 (updated)
Siim Kallas
Estonia
General European Commission, European commissioner for transport (previously transparency) Nortal, Consultant May 2015 (updated)
Carl Haglund
Finland
European Parliament + Finnish government, Member of European Parliament (for 3 years) + defence minister Miltton group, Board member Sep 2015
Piia-Noora Kauppi
Finland
Finance European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 9 years) Federation of Finnish Financial Services (+ now Chair of European Banking Federation), Managing director Jan 2009
Bruno Dethomas
France
Foreign affairs DG External Relations (now European External Action Service), Head of Eastern Partnership Taskforce G+ Europe (lobby consultancy), Independent associate Mar 2011
Fanny-Pomme Langue
France
Energy/Climate DG Energy, Policy Officer European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), Policy Director Jan 2013
Michel Petite
France
Tobacco Legal Service - European Commission, Director-General (for 6 years) Clifford Chance, Of Counsel Jan 2008
Serge Abou
France
Business/Industry DG External Relations (now European External Action Service), EU Ambassador to China Huawei, Adviser Jul 2013
Hervé Jouanjean
France
General European commission, DG budget, Director-general Fidal, Of counsel May 2014
Ann Mettler
German-Swedish
General The Lisbon Council + Global Agenda Council, Executive director + Vice-Chair European Commission, Head of the European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC) Dec 2014
Edgar Meister
Germany
Finance DWS Investment (investment branch of Deutsche Bank), Member of the supervisory board European Central Bank, Member of the Administrative Board of Review Nov 2014
Peter Faross
Germany
General DG Energy, Acting deputy director general UEAPME (Union Européenne de l’Artisanat et des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises) + Kaesler & Kollegen, Secretary-general + adviser Jan 2014 (updated)
Günter Verheugen
Germany
General European Commission, Commissioner for enterprise and industry European Experience Company + roles at RBS Germany, FleishmanHillard and others, Non-executive managing director (unpaid) and 50 per cent shareholder Apr 2010
Petra Erler
Germany
Business/Industry DG Enterprise, Head of Cabinet, Commissioner Verheugen (for 4 years) European Experience Company, Managing Director Apr 2010
Erika Mann
Germany
IT European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 10 years) Computer and Communications Industry Association, and now Facebook, Executive Vice President Dec 2009 (updated)
Holger Krahmer
Germany
General European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 10 years) Opel Group, Director European affairs public policy and government relations Oct 2014
Silvana Koch-Mehrin
Germany
Trade European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 10 years) gplus Europe, Senior policy adviser Nov 2014
Christian Thimann
Germany
Finance European Central Bank, Counsellor to the President Group Head of Strategy & Public Affairs + member of AXA’s Executive Committee , AXA Jan 2014
Maria Damanaki
Greece
Maritime affairs European Commission, Commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries The Nature Conservancy, Global managing director for oceans Jan 2015 (updated)
Poppy Kalesi
Greece
Energy/Climate DG Energy, Programme manager Statoil, EU Regulatory Affairs Advisor (then Senior Consultant, Innovation Strategy) Sep 2010
Tibor Kiss
Hungary
General Hungary Permanent Representation to the EU, Ambassador and Permanent Representative PA Europe, Senior Political Adviser Nov 2011
Charlie McCreevy
Ireland
Finance European Commission, Commissioner for internal market and services Ryanair, BNY Mellon, Sentenial and others, Non-executive director Mar 2010
John Bruton
Ireland
Foreign affairs DG External Relations (now European External Action Service), EU Ambassador to the US (for 5 years) Cabinet DN (lobby consultancy) + others, Senior adviser Dec 2010
Eoin O'Malley
Ireland
Trade BusinessEurope, Senior adviser on international relations European Commission, DG Trade, Policy officer Jun 2010
Darren Ennis
Ireland
Foreign affairs European External Action Service, Media and Strategic Communications adviser to Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security MHP Communications, Brussels, Director Sep 2011
Stefano Marino
Italy
Health/Medicines Sigma-Tau, Director of corporate legal and intellectual property European medicines agency,  Head of legal department Jun 2013
Vincenzo Salvatore
Italy
Health/Medicines European Medicines Agency, Head of Legal Service Sidley Austin LLP, Senior Counsel (European life sciences regulatory practice) Jun 2012
Algirdas Šemeta
Lithuania
Business/Industry European Commission, Commissioner for taxation and customs union, audit and anti-fraud Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Initiative , Ukrainian Business Ombudsman Dec 2014 (new)