THE EUROPEAN Commission is examining whether former taoiseach John Bruton can keep two private jobs under rules which compel former European officials to notify it of any new appointments they plan to take up for two years after their EU duties cease.
Mr Bruton was a temporary agent of the commission during his five-year mandate as European Union ambassador to the United States, which came to an end late in 2009.
He said he did not at first notify the commission of his appointments as chairman of IFSC Ireland and to a Brussels consultancy because no one told him he was obliged to do so.
As chairman of IFSC Ireland he promotes Dublin’s financial centre. He became involved with Cabinet DN last year to facilitate his chairmanship of the European Sports Forum.
Former commission officials are bound “to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits”.
Mr Bruton expressed confidence yesterday that the commission would take no issue with his appointments. “I don’t believe there is any conflict of interest.”
His failure to notify the commission came to light only in December when a Brussels-based transparency campaigner, Olivier Hoedeman, sought access late last year to records relating to his appointments. It is understood the commission rejected his request under “access to documentation” rules because it held no such documents. The commission then raised the matter with Mr Bruton.
He said he sent a notification by post from Dunboyne on December 20th, but assumed it was lost in the post or by the commission because it never arrived in the correct place. He sent the notification again by fax last Monday.
“We have now received this notification and will examine it under the normal procedures,” said a commission spokesman.
“It’s up to the directorate general for human resources to decide whether the ex-commission staff member can go ahead and take up the proposed new jobs.” The appointments are implicitly approved if there is no notification to the contrary after 30 days.
Mr Bruton said it should have been for the “recruiter rather than the recruited” to set out the rules relating to employment once he ceased his ambassadorial work.
