Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000229/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Marieke Ehlers (PfE), Auke Zijlstra (PfE), Ton Diepeveen (PfE)
The Commission has authorised former Commissioner Thierry Breton to join the US company Bank of America. This decision would appear to be at odds with the rules in force, which set a 2-year cooling-off period for former Commissioners, and with Article 245 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
The cooling-off period applies to relations that are susceptible to lobbying or a potential conflict of interests.
Mr Breton appears to demonstrate that his role on the bank’s Global Advisory Council (GAC) will be purely advisory and unremunerated, but does not appear to rule out a conflict of interests.
- 1.Is an unremunerated job a valid reason for exempting a former Commissioner from the cooling-off period?
- 2.Does the Commission consider that a ‘purely advisory role’ by definition rules out lobbying?
- 3.How will the Commission verify whether Mr Breton is engaging in lobbying or not in the exercise of his duties on the GAC, and how will it monitor any conflicts of interest that may arise in the exercise of his duties on the GAC?
Submitted: 20.1.2025