José Manuel Barroso to be investigated by EU ethics committee on Juncker's request

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has asked the Ad Hoc Ethical Committee to assess José Manuel Barroso’s new appointment with Goldman Sachs

European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker has asked the EU ethics panel to investigate his predecessor, Jose Manuel Barroso
European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker has asked the EU ethics panel to investigate his predecessor, Jose Manuel Barroso

Prompted by the European Ombudsman, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has agreed to have José Manuel Barroso – his predecessor – ‘investigated’ by the EU ethics panel over his appointment with US investment bank, Goldman Sachs.

Barroso has taken up an appointment as adviser and non-executive chairman with the bank’s London office to help steer the bank through Brexit. After serving as President of the European Commission for 10 years between 2004 and 2014, Barroso will now be advising the bank how to mitigate effects from the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the European Union.

His appointment has intensified the debate on revolving doors in Brussels and raised questions over the adequacy of the institutions’ Code of Conduct. A petition in protest to the appointment garnered more almost 140,000 signatures.

In reply to Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly’s letter last week expressing concern about the appointment, Juncker pledged to ask for details of Barroso’s responsibilities as well as the terms of reference of his contract which will then be assessed by the Ad Hoc Ethical Committee.

Juncker reassured the Ombudsman that, as of taking up his employment, Barroso “will be received in the Commission as an interest representative and will be submitted to the same rules as all other interest representatives as regards the Transparency Register”.

The EU ethics committee is made up of three members and include a former judge, a former vice-president of the European Parliament and a former top Commission official.

“I am pleased to see that President Juncker has responded to the widespread concerns about this appointment and particularly in agreeing as a first step to my suggestion that the Ad Hoc Ethical Committee should play a role in assessing those concerns,” O’Reilly said in a press statement.

“I am also pleased that President Juncker has very importantly noted that the Treaty obligation on former Commissioners to behave with integrity goes beyond the 18-month notification period concerning new positions, as per the Code of Conduct.”