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 | New employer | Date | Last updated Sort descending |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | |
Nikos Lavranos Netherlands |
Trade | Dutch ministry of economic affairs, agriculture & innovation, Senior policy advisor on trade | European federation for investment law and arbitration (EFILA), Secretary-general | Jul 2014 | |
Brian Simpson UK |
European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 23 years) | Hume Brophy, Senior consultant | Jul 2014 | ||
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 | |
Mårten Westrup Sweden |
Energy/Climate | DG Enterprise (for 27 months), Policy officer and Legal officer | BusinessEurope, Adviser - Industrial Affairs Committee (climate change) | Oct 2010 | |
Eoin O'Malley Ireland |
Trade | BusinessEurope, Senior adviser on international relations | European Commission, DG Trade, Policy officer | Jun 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 | |
Charlie McCreevy Ireland |
Finance | European Commission, Commissioner for internal market and services | Ryanair, BNY Mellon, Sentenial and others, Non-executive director | Mar 2010 | |
Mogens Peter Carl Denmark |
Environment | DG Environment, Director-General | Kreab Gavin Anderson (lobby consultancy), Senior Adviser | Feb 2010 | |
Hervé Jouanjean France |
General | European commission, DG budget, Director-general | Fidal, Of counsel | May 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) |
Chris Davies UK |
Energy/Climate | European Parliament, Member of the European Parliament (for 15 years) | Chris Davies Ltd, Director | Dec 2014 | (new) |
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) |
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) |
Aleksandra Tomczak Poland |
Energy/Climate | World Coal Association, European specialist + Policy manager | European Commission, DG Energy, Policy coordinator EU Coal | Feb 2015 | (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) |
Karel De Gucht Belgium |
Trade | European Commission, European commissioner for trade | Proximus, Merit Capital NV, CVC Partners, ArcelorMittal, Member of the management board | (updated) | |
Corien Wortmann-Kool Netherlands |
Finance | European parliament, Member of European parliament (for 10 years) | Aegon NV + ABP, Supervisory board member | May 2014 | (updated) |
José Manuel Barroso Portugal |
General | European Commission, President (for 10 years) | Various including Goldman Sachs, European Business Summit + Bilderberg Conferences, | Nov 2014 | (updated) |
Arlene McCarthy UK |
General | European parliament, Member of European parliament (for 20 years) | Sovereign Strategy, Deputy chair for European strategy | Jul 2014 | (updated) |
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) |
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) |
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) |
Jan Eric Frydman Sweden |
Trade | Ekenberg & Andersson, Lawyer & partner | DG Trade, Special adviser for trade policy and transatlantic affairs | Mar 2015 | (updated) |
Graham Watson UK |
General | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 20 years) | Bagehot Ltd, Founder and managing director | Oct 2014 | |
Robert Madelin UK |
IT | European Political Strategy Center & DG CNECT, Senior Adviser on Innovation & Director General | Madelin Innovation, Director - Consultant | Oct 2016 | (new) |
Jonathan Hill UK |
Finance | European Commission, Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union | Freshfields, UBS, Aviva Insurance, Deloitte, Times Newspaper, Senior adviser, Director | Mar 2017 | (new) |
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 | |
Viviane Reding Luxembourg |
General | European Commission, Commissioner for Justice | Various, including Bertelsmann Foundation + Agfa-Gevaert, Member of board | Nov 2014 | (updated) |
Meglena Kuneva Bulgaria |
Finance | European Commission, Commissioner for consumer protection | BNP Paribas, Non-executive member of the board | May 2010 | |
Michel Petite France |
Tobacco | Legal Service - European Commission, Director-General (for 6 years) | Clifford Chance, Of Counsel | Jan 2008 | |
Jörgen Holmquist Sweden |
Finance | DG Internal Market and Services (MARKT), Director General DG MARKT | Interel, “Senior advisory role” in financial services practice | Oct 2012 | |
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 | |
Serge Abou France |
Business/Industry | DG External Relations (now European External Action Service), EU Ambassador to China | Huawei, Adviser | Jul 2013 | |
John Purvis UK |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 15 years) | cabinet DN, Senior advisor and chairman of Financial Future | ||
Glyn Ford UK |
Foreign affairs | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 25 years) | G+ and Polint Ltd, Senior Adviser | Jul 2009 | |
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 | |
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 | |
Pablo Asbo Argentina |
Competition | DG Competition (for 6 years), Case-handler | Avisa Partners , Associate director on competition | Mar 2011 | |
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 | |
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) |
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 Skinner UK |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 20 years) | Allianz SE, Senior Advisor on EU/International relations. | ||
Neelie Kroes Netherlands |
General | European Commission, Commissioner for the digital agenda | Bank of America Merrill Lynch + Salesforce + Uber, Special adviser + board directorships | Mar 2015 | (updated) |