The spotlight that shines ever brighter on lobbyists and contacts with the European Commission has recently been aimed in the direction of former Commissioners. A number of articles have pointed, more or less critically, to the fact that former Commissioners are often in contact with the present Commissioners and their staff. The extent of this has been revealed by the recent EU Transparency rules, initiated at the start of his mandate by Commission President Juncker. These rules are supposed to record all meetings held by a Commissioner or member of his cabinet. A number of ex-Commissioners have been identified as holding meetings recently.
Ex-trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, who founded communications firm Global Counsel in 2010, seems to have been very active, meeting Juncker's head of office Martin Selmayr and other senior officials for dinner a couple of times since December 2014. One of the key architects of Tony Blair’s tenure as British prime minister, Mandelson served as the UK’s member of the Commission from 2004 to 2008, handling the important trade dossier. After serving in the British cabinet as secretary of state for business, innovation and skills from 2008 to 2010, he went on to found the lobbying firm Global Counsel.
Mandelson came to Brussels on June 16 for a dinner with Martin Selmayr, chief of staff to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and other senior cabinet members and advisors. Mandelson also recently completed an impressive round of meetings with advisors on competition, growth/competitiveness, financial stability, economic and financial affairs, agriculture, competition and financial services and capital markets. Other former Commissioners such as Belgian Etienne Davignon, Italian Franco Frattini, and Siim Kallas, have also held a diverse range of meetings.
All these Commissioners work for consultancies or as advisors for a range of private client and the range of meetings obtained would make any self-respecting lobbyist green with envy. However, should they be allowed to do this?
Subject to the “cooling-off rules” adopted by the European Institutions for the employment of former officials, I would argue strongly that they should. Decision makers, especially at European level, need to hear a wide range of advice, facts and opinions, to enable them to take the best possible decisions to make the best possible policy. Few would dispute the credential of the gentlemen named above and other former top-level officials, to provide this at least in some measures.
What is crucial here is clarity and openness. It may well be that some meetings are to provide general advice, using the experience gained on the job. However, when meetings are to obtain understanding of an issue or to advocate the position of a client, then it is right that the purpose of the meeting should be disclosed and not hidden under general descriptions. Other lobbyists and interests submit to these rules and by and large they have not proved to be too onerous. It is in the interests of the whole profession that all lobbyists, however distinguished, should adhere to the same standards. This is the best route towards a better understanding and appreciation of our work.