New code bans double roles for members of Commission

Double-jobbing EU commissioners are definitely out from now on, the beleaguered European Commission decided yesterday.

In an attempt to clean up its tarnished image, the Commission has agreed on a new code of conduct for its members which bans outside income and the receipt of substantial gifts and which requires detailed declarations by the members of their and their spouses' interests. Announcing the new code, the President of the Commission, Mr Jacques Santer, also made it clear that he would not stand by commissioners seriously implicated by the committee of wise men currently investigating a number of cases of fraud and alleged mismanagement inside the organisation.

"If the committee arrives at a conclusion which calls into question members of the Commission . . . I think those members must accept their political responsibility and behave accordingly," Mr Santer told a news conference. "If the entire Commission was called into question, then I think we will react as a collegiate body," Mr Santer said, suggesting the entire body could step down.

The wise men are due to produce an interim report to Parliament on March 15th and are expected to make strong but not necessarily terminal criticism of the French Education and Research Commissioner, Ms Edith Cresson.

Earlier this year a motion of parliamentary censure against the whole Commission was averted only by the Commission's agreement to give the committee full access to all Commission documents.

Mr Santer said yesterday that the new code would provide clear and transparent rules for commissioners who should be "politically and economically independent". They should be "above suspicion".

The new code provides for:

A prohibition of paid or unpaid professional work;

Resignation from any public office held, although low-level involvement in political parties is still allowed;

Honorary positions, such as those in artistic or cultural organisations, allowed as long as there is no possibility of conflict of interest;

Declarations of financial interests, extending to the interests and occupations of spouses;

A prohibition on receiving gifts worth more than €150 (£120).

The new code prohibits a number of activities which members of the current Commission have in the past engaged in, and until recently in some cases.

Ms Cresson was mayor of Chatellerault for three years of her commissioner-ship; the Environment Commissioner, Ms Ritt Bjerregaard, was earning considerable sums from her journalistic activities; and the Industry Commissioner, Mr Martin Bangemann, had a lucrative sideline in fees for speaking at meetings.

Mr Santer also said he would make recommendations to his successor about the size and both national and gender composition of commissioners' cabinets. A code of conduct for Commission employees will also be produced following discussions with staff. To compound the Commission's current embarrassment, Belgian papers yesterday reported that the police had raided Commission offices on Tuesday in connection with investigations into fraud in the Commission's security office.