Eurocrats’ travel freebies trigger new outrage

Calls are mounting for the European Commission to come clean over how much free travel its officials have accepted from lobbyists and law firms, after POLITICO found staff in one department took dozens of paid-for trips.
EU competition officials went on 150 missions that were “totally or partially paid by third parties” last year, the Commission said in response to a POLITICO request for access to documents. Of those, 23 missions were funded at least partly by law firms, consulting companies and industry groups.
The revelations sparked concerns among politicians and transparency campaigners, who fear relations are already too close between industry lobbyists and EU officials responsible for regulating some of the world’s biggest companies and most valuable business deals.
“This is deplorable,” René Repasi, a German S&D member of the European Parliament, told POLITICO. He said the risk that staff took paid-for trips from firms that may be working for companies the Commission is investigating “cast unfortunate doubts on the impartiality” of the Commission’s antitrust unit, known as DG Competition. He saw no such issue with accepting travel from universities and “it is even a good thing” for the Commission “to share its insights with students and researchers.”
The disclosures will intensify pressure on the European Union’s major institutions, which are already struggling to restore their reputation for ethical conduct amid a series of scandals involving allegations of corruption and conflicts of interest.
Last month, the Commission tightened its own rules on travel expenses after POLITICO revealed that the EU’s ex-transport chief – Henrik Hololei – signed off on his own free flights to Qatar. Officials can no longer accept sponsored travel or accommodation, except when paid for by universities, EU governments and major international organizations like the United Nations or G20. 
“I don’t know how they ever thought this was a good idea,” Daniel Freund, German Green lawmaker, who is vocal on transparency and integrity issues in Brussels, said. “If the Hololei case now leads to changes of practice in the Commission, it’s high time.”
The Parliament’s internal rules on travel are clearer: MEPs must publicly declare travel, accommodation and stipends paid for by third parties by the end of the month following any trip.
Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the EU executive will “look into” the missions where staff accepted travel from law firms and industry groups last year. “We need to establish the facts,” she told POLITICO after the Commission’s weekly meeting in Strasbourg.
She said it was “too early to say” if the new post-Hololei rules would stifle officials’ ability to travel.
However, others said the effects of the new regime are already apparent. Several officials said they have had to pull out of conferences or participate remotely rather than in person due to the Commission’s limited budget.
“I think it’s really important that we do not stifle our work because every mission is justified,” Vestager said. “You don’t travel for pleasure when you travel for work,” she added. “Of course, we’ll look into it to see if things can be done differently as one should.”
Commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà said where paid-for travel was accepted it was “in view of the advocacy and reaching-out purposes of the missions.” Accepting free travel allowed officials “to focus the Commission’s budget on missions related to investigations,” she said.
Speaking at conferences, giving lectures and joining academic discussions “has always been an important part of DG Competition’s advocacy activity,” Podestà said last week. While this won’t stop, the Commission is now also aiming to reduce its carbon footprint and encourages staff to participate via video, she said.
Paid-for travel for the EU’s powerful competition department may be particularly sensitive due to its role in approving billion-dollar deals and investigating some of the world’s biggest companies. Hackles have been previously raised over some senior competition officials leaving for law firms or consultancies.
“One of the lobby tactics that industry has up its sleeve is being able to do the wining and dining, the trips,” Vicky Cann of transparency campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory, told POLITICO. She said that law firms, consultancies and industry groups are “exactly the group that I think really put a premium on revolving door hires from DG Competition.”
Edith Hancock reported from Brussels, Eddy Wax reported from Strasbourg