The European Union’s antitrust chief defended “very strict” rules for how officials quit to work for law firms that represent companies under investigation.
“Obviously, it is really important that people can trust that you cannot work in the Commission and then on the next day, leaving the Commission, that you cannot lobby the Commission or work on the same cases,” Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told reporters at a Thursday press conference.
She was responding to criticism from the EU’s ombudsman that regulators had refused to provide details on antitrust official Henrik Morch’s move to U.S. law firm Paul Weiss, which published a press release earlier this month touting him as a “tremendous asset to our clients.”
Vestager said Morch would retire from the Commission on June 1 but has been on leave since April 30 and has “de facto left” the EU executive.
“We have very strict rules when it comes to what you can do after leaving if you take another job, either quitting or going on retirement,” she said. The procedures ensure that “things are done in a proper way and we do not have revolving doors that will negatively affect our work.”
Vestager said the current rules are “sufficient” and “should not be stricter.”
“It is beneficial for the Commission to be able to recruit, in our situation, also competition lawyers, people with a technical expertise” and others that offer wide experience, she said. It is also important that people can leave and “have a career after having worked in the Commission.”
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