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
Glyn Ford
UK
Foreign affairs European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 25 years) G+ and Polint Ltd, Senior Adviser Jul 2009
Louis Michel
Belgium
Finance European Commission, Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid Credimo, Board member Jun 2010
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)
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
Joe Borg
Malta
Maritime affairs European Commission, Commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries Fipra, Special advisor Aug 2010
Meglena Kuneva
Bulgaria
Finance European Commission, Commissioner for consumer protection BNP Paribas, Non-executive member of the board May 2010
Charlie McCreevy
Ireland
Finance European Commission, Commissioner for internal market and services Ryanair, BNY Mellon, Sentenial and others, Non-executive director Mar 2010
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
Gayle Kimberley
Malta
Tobacco European Council, Lawyer Swedish Match, Lobbyist Nov 2011
Serge Abou
France
Business/Industry DG External Relations (now European External Action Service), EU Ambassador to China Huawei, Adviser Jul 2013
Poppy Kalesi
Greece
Energy/Climate DG Energy, Programme manager Statoil, EU Regulatory Affairs Advisor (then Senior Consultant, Innovation Strategy) Sep 2010
Fanny-Pomme Langue
France
Energy/Climate DG Energy, Policy Officer European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), Policy Director Jan 2013
Johan Gabrielsson
Sweden
Tobacco DG Enlargement, Project Manager - EU Policies Swedish Match, Public Affairs Director Oct 2011
Jörgen Holmquist
Sweden
Finance DG Internal Market and Services (MARKT), Director General DG MARKT Interel, “Senior advisory role” in financial services practice Oct 2012
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
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
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
Harald Boerekamp
Netherlands
Development DG-ECHO (Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection), Administrator (contract agent) Interel European Affairs, Senior consultant May 2012
Marcus Lippold
not known
Energy/Climate ExxonMobil, Various since 1992 DG Energy, International relations officer Oct 2008 (updated)
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
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
Tibor Kiss
Hungary
General Hungary Permanent Representation to the EU, Ambassador and Permanent Representative PA Europe, Senior Political Adviser Nov 2011
Magnus Ovilius
Sweden
Security DG Justice, Freedom and Security, Head of Sector, Preparedness and Crisis Management Smiths Group, Senior Vice President Government Relations Dec 2008
Laura Smillie
not known
Food European Food Information Council (for 5 years), Communications manager European Food Safety Authority, Communications directorate May 2010
Mårten Westrup
Sweden
Energy/Climate BusinessEurope, Adviser - Industrial Affairs Committee (climate change) DG Energy, Energy policy & monitoring of electricity, gas, coal and oil markets Jun 2011
Mårten Westrup
Sweden
Energy/Climate DG Enterprise (for 27 months), Policy officer and Legal officer BusinessEurope, Adviser - Industrial Affairs Committee (climate change) Oct 2010
Luc Werring
Netherlands
Energy/Climate DG Transport and Energy (for 23 years), Principal adviser to the Director-General Hill & Knowlton (lobby consultancy), Senior adviser on transport, energy and environment Dec 2007
Derek Taylor
Britain
Energy/Climate DG Transport and Energy, Energy adviser Burson-Marsteller (lobby consultancy) + others, Adviser on energy issues Aug 2009
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
Suzy Renckens
Belgium
Food European Food Safety Authority, Head of GMO unit (for 5 years) Syngenta, Regional Manager for Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs May 2008
Michel Petite
France
Tobacco Legal Service - European Commission, Director-General (for 6 years) Clifford Chance, Of Counsel Jan 2008
Jean-Philippe Monod de Froideville
Netherlands
Competition DG Competition, Personal adviser to Commissioner Neelie Kroes (for 2 years) Interel (lobby consultancy), Associate director for competition Nov 2009
Thomas Lönngren
Sweden
Health/Medicines European Medicines Agency (for 10 years), Executive Director Pharma Executive Consulting Ltd + NDA Group, Strategic adviser Jan 2011
Petra Erler
Germany
Business/Industry DG Enterprise, Head of Cabinet, Commissioner Verheugen (for 4 years) European Experience Company, Managing Director Apr 2010
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
Mogens Peter Carl
Denmark
Environment DG Environment, Director-General Kreab Gavin Anderson (lobby consultancy), Senior Adviser Feb 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
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
Eline Post
Netherlands
Competition DG Competition, Case handler (since 2005) Avisa Partners, Senior consultant on competition Dec 2010
Pablo Asbo
Argentina
Competition DG Competition (for 6 years), Case-handler Avisa Partners , Associate director on competition Mar 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
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
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)
Isabel Ortiz
Spain
Food DG Enterprise and Industry, Policy Officer, Food Industry Unit (for 3 years) FoodDrinkEurope (Confederation of Food and Drink Industries of the EU), Director of Consumer Information, Diet and Health Mar 2011