Revolving doors

Stamping out conflicts of interest

The custom whereby those who exit senior EU posts and then take the ‘revolving door’ to enter plum jobs as lobbyists in industry or financial corporations has rightly been tackled by Europe’s and Ireland’s former ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly. Because of their ready access to the old-boy network in the corridors of power, they can gain sensitive information not readily available to millions of people across Europe, but which can have a profound influence on their lives.

By laying down a template of how the EU Commission should deal with this problem, including sanctions on ex-officials who break the rules, Ms O’Reilly hopes to stamp out conflicts of interest that may arise. If national or global firms can get their hands on regulations before they are implemented by Brussels, it gives them an inside track about future decisions on, for instance, major energy developments or changes to environmental laws, thus enabling them to boost profits at the cost of Europe’s citizens. By giving the public an insight into what goes on, the ombudsman will be doing a good day’s work.