Code of Conduct for the Members of the European Commission

Ethics and integrity for Commissioners

The European Union Treaties provide that Members of the Commission shall refrain from any action incompatible with their duties and will behave  with integrity and discretion  both during and  after their term of office.

Member States shall respect their independence and shall not seek to influence them in the performance of their tasks.

The obligation of professional secrecy, which binds all staff of the European institutions, also applies to Commissioners.

What is the Code of Conduct?

The Code of Conduct defines and clarifies the ethical obligations applicable to Commissioners and former Commissioners. .

The Commission first introduced that Code in 1999. The most recent version entered into force on 1 February 2018.

Main features 

Declarations of interests

A key feature of the Code is the publication of declarations of interests. In these, Commissioners must declareany:

• positions held in the last ten years.
• financial or other interests or assets that  might create a conflict of interest in the performance of their duties.
• membership in bodies intended to influence public functions.

This obligation also applies to the Commissioners-designate and the President-elect before they take office.

The European Parliament examines these declarations during the hearings of Commissioners-designate. The declarations are updated at least annually, reviewed under the authority of the President of the Commission, and then published, including in a machine-readable format.

Transparency

The Commission is committed to the highest standards of transparency. Commissioners and their Cabinet members  can only meet interest representatives which are registered in the Transparency register and publish information on such meetings. 

The Commission also publishes information on the following maters:

• An overview of expenses of official travel per Commissioner every two months  
• A list of gifts that  Commissioners receive in their official capacity 

Political role

Commissioners play an important political role. They have political responsibility and are collectively accountable to the European Parliament. The Code of Conduct therefore allows them to participate in the democratic life of the EU and its Member States. This is, however, subject to certain conditions and restrictions distinguishing, in particular, between EU-wide politics and national politics.

Participation in elections

Commissioners can participate in the European Parliament elections. The Commission has issued guidelines on the ethical standards for such participation in 2024. These replace the earlier guidelines (C(2019) 990 final) first introduced for the 2019 elections following an opinion of the Commission’s Independent Ethical Committee.

Commissioners can also participate in national, regional, or local elections. The Commission has also issued guidelines for this case, based on an opinion of the Commission’s Independent Ethical Committee.

Post term of office activities

Commissioners have the right to pursue a professional career after the end of their term of office. However, to ensure  respect for the principles of independence, integrity and discretion,  the Code of Conduct imposes a two-year scrutiny period (or three years for a former Commission President). During this time, former Commissioners must notify the Commission of any planned professional activities. If the planned activity relates to their former portfolio, the Commission may only approve it after consulting with the Independent Ethical Committee. The Commission then adopts its Decision based on the opinion of that committee.

Sanctions

In case of infringement of their obligations the Court of Justice may deprive former Commissioners of their rights to a pension or other benefits – a sanction far stricter than those in most national systems setting ethical standards in public life.

In case of other infringements of the Code which do not warrant a referral to the Court of Justice, the Commission may, on the opinion of its Independent Ethical Committee and on proposal of the President, express a reprimand and, where appropriate, make it public.

In any case, the President of the Commission retains the power to ask individual Commissioners to resign.

Annual reports