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 Sort ascending | Date | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viviane Reding Luxembourg |
General | European Commission, Commissioner for Justice | Various, including Bertelsmann Foundation + Agfa-Gevaert, Member of board | Nov 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 | |
| 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) |
| Herman Van Rompuy Belgium |
Business/Industry | European Council, President | TomorrowLab Advisory Board + European Policy Centre, Chairman | Jan 2015 | |
| Maria Damanaki Greece |
Maritime affairs | European Commission, Commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries | The Nature Conservancy, Global managing director for oceans | Jan 2015 | (updated) |
| Suzy Renckens Belgium |
Food | European Food Safety Authority, Head of GMO unit (for 5 years) | Syngenta, Regional Manager for Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs | May 2008 | |
| Martin Callanan UK |
Environment | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 15 years) | Symphony Environmental Technologies, Consultant | Nov 2014 | |
| Johan Gabrielsson Sweden |
Tobacco | DG Enlargement, Project Manager - EU Policies | Swedish Match, Public Affairs Director | Oct 2011 | |
| Gayle Kimberley Malta |
Tobacco | European Council, Lawyer | Swedish Match, Lobbyist | Nov 2011 | |
| Poppy Kalesi Greece |
Energy/Climate | DG Energy, Programme manager | Statoil, EU Regulatory Affairs Advisor (then Senior Consultant, Innovation Strategy) | Sep 2010 | |
| Arlene McCarthy UK |
General | European parliament, Member of European parliament (for 20 years) | Sovereign Strategy, Deputy chair for European strategy | Jul 2014 | (updated) |
| 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 | |
| Vincenzo Salvatore Italy |
Health/Medicines | European Medicines Agency, Head of Legal Service | Sidley Austin LLP, Senior Counsel (European life sciences regulatory practice) | Jun 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 | |
| Charlie McCreevy Ireland |
Finance | European Commission, Commissioner for internal market and services | Ryanair, BNY Mellon, Sentenial and others, Non-executive director | Mar 2010 | |
| 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 | |
| Anders Fogh Rasmussen Denmark |
Security | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Secretary General | Rasmussen Global, Consultant | Oct 2014 | |
| Karel De Gucht Belgium |
Trade | European Commission, European commissioner for trade | Proximus, Merit Capital NV, CVC Partners, ArcelorMittal, Member of the management board | (updated) | |
| Michał Kamiński Poland |
General | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 8 years) | Prism Group, Partner | Oct 2014 | |
| Thomas Lönngren Sweden |
Health/Medicines | European Medicines Agency (for 10 years), Executive Director | Pharma Executive Consulting Ltd + NDA Group, Strategic adviser | Jan 2011 | |
| Tibor Kiss Hungary |
General | Hungary Permanent Representation to the EU, Ambassador and Permanent Representative | PA Europe, Senior Political Adviser | Nov 2011 | |
| 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 | |
| Emilie Turunen Denmark |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European parliament (for 5 years) | Nykredit, Head of public affairs | Sep 2014 | |
| Siim Kallas Estonia |
General | European Commission, European commissioner for transport (previously transparency) | Nortal, Consultant | May 2015 | (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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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) |
| Marcus Lippold |
Energy/Climate | DG Energy, Advisor – EU International energy relations | MOL Group + Saudi Aramco, Various | Aug 2013 | (updated) |
| Carl Haglund Finland |
European Parliament + Finnish government, Member of European Parliament (for 3 years) + defence minister | Miltton group, Board member | Sep 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 | |
| Robert Madelin UK |
IT | European Political Strategy Center & DG CNECT, Senior Adviser on Innovation & Director General | Madelin Innovation, Director - Consultant | Oct 2016 | (new) |
| 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) |
| Mogens Peter Carl Denmark |
Environment | DG Environment, Director-General | Kreab Gavin Anderson (lobby consultancy), Senior Adviser | Feb 2010 | |
| Karin Riis-Jørgensen Denmark |
Tobacco | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 15 years) | Kreab Gavin Anderson, Senior advisor | ||
| 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) |
| Joao Pacheco Portugal |
Agriculture | European Commission, DG agriculture, Deputy director-general | JSPacheco-International Consulting, Allen F. Johnson Associates, Farm Europe, Various | Oct 2013 | (updated) |
| Harald Boerekamp Netherlands |
Development | DG-ECHO (Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection), Administrator (contract agent) | Interel European Affairs, Senior consultant | May 2012 | |
| 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 | |
| Jörgen Holmquist Sweden |
Finance | DG Internal Market and Services (MARKT), Director General DG MARKT | Interel, “Senior advisory role” in financial services practice | Oct 2012 | |
| 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 | ||
| Olle Schmidt Sweden |
Finance | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 13 years) | Hume Brophy, Senior consultant | Apr 2015 | |
| Gary Titley UK |
General | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 20 years) | Hume Brophy, Senior consultant | Jan 2010 | |
| Serge Abou France |
Business/Industry | DG External Relations (now European External Action Service), EU Ambassador to China | Huawei, Adviser | Jul 2013 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Silvana Koch-Mehrin Germany |
Trade | European Parliament, Member of European Parliament (for 10 years) | gplus Europe, Senior policy adviser | Nov 2014 | |
| Tobias McKenney |
IT | European Commission, DG Internal Market, Policy advisor - copyright unit | Google, European intellectual property manager | Jun 2012 | (updated) |