The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the integrity policy of the Commission, in particular the appointment of the Secretary-General of the European Commission.
Members regretted that the procedure for the appointment of the new Secretary-General of the European Commission on 21 February 2018 was conducted in a manner which provoked widespread irritation and disapproval in public opinion, among Members of the European Parliament and within the European civil service. The result of this procedure constitutes a reputational risk not only for the European Commission but for all the European Union institutions.
The resolution called on the Commission to acknowledge that this procedure and the communication about it towards the media, Parliament and the general public have negatively influenced its own reputation.
Members are disappointed that not a single Commissioner seems to have questioned the surprise appointment, asked for this appointment decision to be postponed or requested a discussion of principle on the role of a future Secretary-General in the Commission and on how that role is understood, while noting that this item was not on the agenda.
Required action: Members are aware that the revocation of a favourable administrative act is generally not possible due to legal constraints, but nevertheless asked the Commission to reassess the procedure of appointment of the new Secretary-General in order to give other possible candidates within the European public administration the possibility to apply and hence allow for a wider choice among potential candidates from the same function group and grade. They called on the Commission to conduct open and transparent application procedures in the future.
They also pointed out that in order to maintain an excellent and independent, loyal and motivated European civil service, the Staff Regulations need to be applied in letter and spirit and that all vacant posts in an institution shall be notified to the staff of that institution, once the appointing authority decides that the vacancy is to be filled.
Members called, in this context, on all institutions and bodies of the European Union to also put an end to the practice of ‘parachuting’ people into positions which runs the risk of damaging procedures and thus the credibility of the EU. All vacant posts should be published in the interest of transparency, integrity and equal opportunities.
Lastly, the Commission is called on to review, before the end of 2018, its administrative procedure for the appointment of senior officials with the objective of fully ensuring that the best candidates are selected within a framework of maximum transparency and equal opportunities, thereby also setting an example for the other European institutions. Moreover, Members see the need for the Commission to update the rules to guarantee that the Secretary-General has a neutral role.