Yahoo – AFP,
July 12, 2016
Brussels (AFP) - The European Commission said Monday its former head Jose Manuel Barroso will be bound by EU rules of professional secrecy at his controversial new job for US investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Barroso must not divulge secrets to Goldman Sachs: EU |
Brussels (AFP) - The European Commission said Monday its former head Jose Manuel Barroso will be bound by EU rules of professional secrecy at his controversial new job for US investment bank Goldman Sachs.
The bank
has hired Barroso, who headed the executive of the 28-nation European Union
from 2004 until 2014, as an advisor on the British public's June 23 vote to
leave the EU, drawing fire from leftist politicians in Europe.
"All
former members of the (commission) will remain bound by the obligations of integrity,
discretion and professional secrecy" by EU law, Commission spokesman
Margaritis Schinas told a press conference in Brussels.
He cited EU
laws under which former commission members can lose their rights to pensions or
benefits if they fail to respect strict conflict-of-interest rules even after
leaving their jobs.
Barroso did
not have to inform his successor Jean-Claude Juncker about the job because he
had been through an 18-month "cooling off" period since leaving the
EU and it was safe to assume he no longer had access to privileged information
or influence, Schinas said.
"President
Juncker was informed after the decision was announced. There was no formal
obligation for notification," Schinas said, adding that it was via phone
call from Barroso.
"But
once the transition is made from the public to the private sector there are
very precise articles of the treaty which must be respected," he added.
"And
we have a duty as a commission to ensure these articles are respected,"
said Schinas.
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