Former MEPs hunting for jobs: What are the EU's 'revolving doors' rules?

euronews (in English)

Post-mandate restrictions on members of EU institutions impose a cooling-off period between the end of a mandate and the possibility of carrying out lobbying activities.

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00:00After a few weeks of summer break, MEPs who have lost their seat in the June elections

00:05might be starting a new job.

00:08But what are the post-mandate rules applying to their jobs hunt?

00:13Since 2023, they have been forbidden from lobbying the European Parliament for the six

00:18months following the end of their mandate.

00:21After the reforms following the Qatar-Gay scandal, Parliament has introduced a new cooling-off

00:27period of six months that was not present before.

00:30We commented as a wind of dressing, so basically it was just to add something because six months

00:35we all know that in the first six months of mandate there is basically nothing that is

00:38going on.

00:39There are still the committees that need to be created.

00:42There is little legislative activity.

00:44According to Transparency International, in 2017, more than 50% of the former commissioners

00:50and 30% of former MEPs who had left politics were working for organizations listed on the

00:57EU lobby register.

00:58The practice is called revolving doors.

01:01It refers to the practice of staff who have worked in the public sector being hired by

01:05the private sector.

01:06At the time, 50% of Google's registered lobbyists used to work for the EU.

01:11There is the question there if they are working to represent, for example in the case of members,

01:17the citizen that elected them or already the new employee.

01:20And then also in terms of the contacts that once they are in this new job or activity

01:26they will use from the previous activity.

01:31It is challenging to quantify this phenomenon because of the lack of monitoring and the

01:35grey area around the definition of lobbying.

01:42Transparency International says there should be more deterrent sanctions and that this

01:47cooling off period should last longer.

01:52It's really a matter of addressing the lack of monitoring first of all and then in terms

01:57of the parliament in particular is also addressing the fact that the cooling off period right

02:01now is not enough and is not fit for purpose.

02:04It should be longer and equivalent to the transition allowance.

02:08This duration varies for other civil servants.

02:11For example, former members of the European Commission are prohibited to lobby the Commission

02:16for two years after the end of their functions on issues linked to their former portfolio.

02:22This period increases to three years for former presidents of the European Commission.

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