International

Lobbying watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory has discovered that, against all previous agreements, on 25 October, 2017, Jyrki Katainen, Commissioner for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness met with former president of the European Commission in his present function as an advisor to Goldman Sachs. Commenting on the matter, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong said: “Katainen must come and explain himself before the European Parliament, if only because there was so much criticism when Barroso accepted the post at Goldman Sachs. Barroso should never be accepted as a lobbyist. He himself promised to swear off any lobbying activities aimed at the Commission. Katainen is thumbing his nose at the rules. As a Vice-President of the European Commission his behaviour should be unimpeachable, instead of which he'd apparently rather maintain his contacts via an old boys network. That's unacceptable.”

De Jong is also seeking the European Commission's assurance that the Barroso affair will be properly investigated. “Barroso was given the go-ahead by the Commission Ethics Committee to take a job at Goldman Sachs,” De Jong notes, “but only on condition that he solemnly promised not to conduct any lobbying activities involving the EU institutions. Well, he's broken that promise. So that's sufficient reason for the Commission to go back to the Ethical Committee for its advice. In my view, Barroso should immediately resign from Goldman Sachs.”