Block the revolving door!

(24 November 2011) Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) of which EPSU is a member is drawing attention to the high level Commission officials that join the lobby industry, resulting in abuses of power, according to a new report published today. The report urges greater transparency and tough new rules to stop public employees moving through the “revolving door” into private sector lobby roles, often without any cooling-off period or restrictions being imposed. ALTER-EU says this allows lobby firms to gain insider know-how and access to key contacts on behalf of their business clients or employers, providing easy routes to influence policy making. And the report warns that some officials may be taking decisions which benefit potential future employers at the expense of the public interest, or even abusing their position to secure lucrative deals in the private sector while still in office. ALTER-EU’s report outlines the cases of 15 officials who have moved into influential lobbying roles, without adequate checks being put in place.

On this link http://www.alter-eu.org/revolving-doors you will find various materials including:

- a detailed report about the issue with over 15 cases of officials who have gone through the revolving door
- the report's executive summary
- a briefing called 'frequently asked questions' which gives you further information about the campaign and issue
- there is also a revolving door cartoon and a photo (taken at the ALTER-EU general assembly)!