Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-07-21-Speech-3-124"
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"en.19990721.7.3-124"2
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"(FR) Mr President, the Europe of Nations Group finds the attitude of Commissioner Bangemann, the Commissioner for Telecommunications in the previous Commission – or in the present one, we are not too sure of his exact position – completely unacceptable. This same Commissioner Bangemann has just accepted an extremely well-paid job on the board of a company involved in his area of responsibility.
We think that the Council of Ministers was right to inform the Courts of Justice, in accordance with article 213 of the Treaty, which prohibits Commissioners from accepting, even after leaving their posts, jobs which would place them in an awkward position, given their obligations to be honest and sensitive in these matters.
One of these obligations which I feel should be mentioned in particular, as it is not mentioned often enough, is that of professional secrecy, which, in accordance with Article 287 of the Treaty, applies to Commissioners indefinitely after leaving office. Indeed, I do not see how Mr Bangemann could act as a director of
without using, directly or indirectly, confidential information which he has acquired over the last few years.
The Union for a Europe of Nations Group finds that the new Code of Conduct, touched on by Mr Prodi, is not up to the job. The one year minimum period which would relieve the Commissioners of their obligations after leaving office, seems far too short. In addition to this, potential penalties should be made much more severe, and could even include the returning of salaries paid to them during their time in office at the Commission.
The stakes are high, dear colleagues. We must know whether or not we can take decisions at a European level which reflect the opinions of the citizens of Europe and not those of economic or financial lobby-groups.
There is more. The indifference of Commissioner Bangemann, who has not even had the decency to wait just a few months until the Commission"s agony is over, shows the extent to which there is a feeling within this institution, of being above the law and above public opinion. This type of behaviour casts serious doubts, in retrospect, on many past decisions. This must be put right as a matter of urgency, particularly before the forthcoming international negotiations at the Millennium round which will be fundamental to Europe"s interests. In order to put things right though, Mr President, we will need more than a new Code of Conduct. The control of whole European institutions will have to be given back to the people, and the first step in this direction is to give this control back to their national parliaments."@en1
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