Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Commission approved Diederik Samsom’s job as a gas network operator, under limitations.
The EU has permitted an ex-top Green Deal official to take up a position for a major gas network operator although with limitations imposed on his work there. Diederik Samsom, who was head of staff to former EU Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans and a critical architect of the European Green Deal, informed in June that he would be joining the Dutch state-owned company Gasunie as chair of the supervisory board.
Shortly later, it emerged that Samsom had taken the paid role before applying for clearance from the European Commission under its revolving door practices, which are aimed at preventing clashes of interest and undue influence on officials.
What are the EU Commission’s concerns about Samsom’s new job?
EU Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said that “after a thorough examination of Mr Samsom’s obligations in the Commission, of his envisaged professional activity and risks resulting thereof for the interests and reputation of the Institution, the EU Commission has imposed clear prerequisites and has authorized the employment, subject to respect of the restrictions.”
He said: “These restrictions aim to prevent any risk of a real, potential or perceived conflict with the Commission’s legitimate interests, whilst also respecting the fundamental principle of former staff’s right to work.”
In a statement, Samsom stated: “Today the Commission has notified me that within the usual restrictions that apply to former Commission officials, it has no protests to my non-executive role as chair of the Supervisory Board of Gasunie. The EU Commission regrets my belated notification. I already said that I also regret that, due to an error from my side, the report did not reach the EU Commission in time. I thank the Commission for its positive decision.”
What does the EU Commission’s decision mean for former officials’ employment?
The EU Commission would not reveal the conditions it had placed on Samsom due to the need to respect his solitude through data protection rules, Ujvari stated. He added that the regulations would, however, be detailed in a report issued once each year. It is a standard practice that former senior officials are prohibited from lobbying the EU Commission on matters related to their earlier work for 12 months.
Moreover, Ujvari said the EU Commission “can and has been imposing very strict restrictions” on exiting officials’ private sector employment.
What role did Samsom play in the European Green Deal?
During his five-year term at the EU Commission, Samsom led a policy-making group that developed a groundbreaking set of laws, ultimately, to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the EU to net zero. That included lawmaking to reshape the types of fuels utilised to power factories and heat homes and move away from the usage of natural gas.
