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:
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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
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A revised Code of Conduct for MEPs to include robust rules to regulate the revolving door
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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 Sort descending | New employer | Date | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gayle Kimberley Malta |
Tobacco | European Council, Lawyer | Swedish Match, Lobbyist | Nov 2011 | |
| Herman Van Rompuy Belgium |
Business/Industry | European Council, President | TomorrowLab Advisory Board + European Policy Centre, Chairman | Jan 2015 | |
| 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 | |
| Laura Smillie not known |
Food | European Food Information Council (for 5 years), Communications manager | European Food Safety Authority, Communications directorate | May 2010 | |
| Suzy Renckens Belgium |
Food | European Food Safety Authority, Head of GMO unit (for 5 years) | Syngenta, Regional Manager for Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs | May 2008 | |
| David Carlander Sweden |
Food | European Food Safety Authority, Scientific Officer working on guidance for assessing risk of nanotechnology in food | Nanotechnology Industries Association, Director of Advocacy | Sep 2011 | |
| Xavier Luria Spain |
Health/Medicines | European Medicines Agency, Head of Sector Safety and Efficacy of Medicines | Self-employed. Consultant/ Freelance for: Trial Form Support, NDA Partners, Oryzon, Kinesys Consulting Ltd. Other activities for: Univerity California San Francisco, IESE Business School of the University of Navarra, ASINFARMA, Andorra Ministry of Health, Consultant | Mar 2012 | |
| Vincenzo Salvatore Italy |
Health/Medicines | European Medicines Agency, Head of Legal Service | Sidley Austin LLP, Senior Counsel (European life sciences regulatory practice) | Jun 2012 | |
| Thomas Lönngren Sweden |
Health/Medicines | European Medicines Agency (for 10 years), Executive Director | Pharma Executive Consulting Ltd + NDA Group, Strategic adviser | Jan 2011 | |
| Graham Watson UK |
General | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 20 years) | Bagehot Ltd, Founder and managing director | Oct 2014 | |
| George Lyon UK |
Agriculture | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 5 years) | Hume Brophy, Agri-business senior consultant | Jan 2015 | |
| Brian Simpson UK |
European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 23 years) | Hume Brophy, Senior consultant | Jul 2014 | ||
| Michał Kamiński Poland |
General | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 8 years) | Prism Group, Partner | Oct 2014 | |
| Olle Schmidt Sweden |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 13 years) | Hume Brophy, Senior consultant | Apr 2015 | |
| 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) |
| Chris Davies UK |
Energy/Climate | European Parliament, Member of the European Parliament (for 15 years) | Chris Davies Ltd, Director | Dec 2014 | (new) |
| Peter Skinner UK |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 20 years) | Allianz SE, Senior Advisor on EU/International relations. | ||
| Glyn Ford UK |
Foreign affairs | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 25 years) | G+ and Polint Ltd, Senior Adviser | Jul 2009 | |
| Fiona Hall UK |
Energy/Climate | European parliament, Member of European parliament (for 10 years) | Rockwool International A/S (Hall's major consultancy client), Senior policy advisor to its energy efficiency team | Sep 2014 | |
| Martin Callanan UK |
Environment | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 15 years) | Symphony Environmental Technologies, Consultant | Nov 2014 | |
| Karin Riis-Jørgensen Denmark |
Tobacco | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 15 years) | Kreab Gavin Anderson, Senior advisor | ||
| Arlene McCarthy UK |
General | European parliament, Member of European parliament (for 20 years) | Sovereign Strategy, Deputy chair for European strategy | Jul 2014 | (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 | |
| 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 | |
| Silvana Koch-Mehrin Germany |
Trade | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 10 years) | gplus Europe, Senior policy adviser | Nov 2014 | |
| John Purvis UK |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 15 years) | cabinet DN, Senior advisor and chairman of Financial Future | ||
| Sharon Bowles UK |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 9 years) | London Stock Exchange Group plc + Prime Collateralised Securities initiative (PCS) + Afore Consulting, Non-executive director + Senior Strategic Counsel | Aug 2014 | (updated) |
| Gary Titley UK |
General | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 20 years) | Hume Brophy, Senior consultant | Jan 2010 | |
| Emilie Turunen Denmark |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European parliament (for 5 years) | Nykredit, Head of public affairs | Sep 2014 | |
| Corien Wortmann-Kool Netherlands |
Finance | European parliament, Member of European parliament (for 10 years) | Aegon NV + ABP, Supervisory board member | May 2014 | (updated) |
| 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 | |
| Carl Haglund Finland |
European Parliament + Finnish government, Member of European Parliament (for 3 years) + defence minister | Miltton group, Board member | Sep 2015 | ||
| Robert Madelin UK |
IT | European Political Strategy Center & DG CNECT, Senior Adviser on Innovation & Director General | Madelin Innovation, Director - Consultant | Oct 2016 | (new) |
| Marcus Lippold not known |
Energy/Climate | ExxonMobil, Various since 1992 | DG Energy, International relations officer | Oct 2008 | (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) |
| Tibor Kiss Hungary |
General | Hungary Permanent Representation to the EU, Ambassador and Permanent Representative | PA Europe, Senior Political Adviser | Nov 2011 | |
| Michel Petite France |
Tobacco | Legal Service - European Commission, Director-General (for 6 years) | Clifford Chance, Of Counsel | Jan 2008 | |
| Anders Fogh Rasmussen Denmark |
Security | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Secretary General | Rasmussen Global, Consultant | Oct 2014 | |
| 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 | |
| Elizabeth Kuiper Netherlands |
Health/Medicines | Permanent representation to the Netherlands, Attaché on health, pharmaceuticals and medical devices | European federation of pharmaceutical industries and associations (EFPIA) , Director of European affairs | May 2014 | |
| Stefano Marino Italy |
Health/Medicines | Sigma-Tau, Director of corporate legal and intellectual property | European medicines agency, Head of legal department | Jun 2013 | |
| 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 | |
| Matt Hinde UK |
Energy/Climate | UK government's Department of Energy and Climate Change, Head of EU Strategy | FleishmanHillard, Senior Vice-President and Head of its energy practice | Oct 2015 | (new) |
| 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 | |
| Aleksandra Tomczak Poland |
Energy/Climate | World Coal Association, European specialist + Policy manager | European Commission, DG Energy, Policy coordinator EU Coal | Feb 2015 | (updated) |