Question for written answer E-003120/2020 to the Commission Rule 138 (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), Damien Carême (Verts/ALE), Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), Benoît Biteau (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), François Alfonsi (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE), (Verts/ALE)

Subject: Recruitment of Federica Mogherini as Rector of the College of Europe

On 22 April 2020, by decision C(2020)9013, the Commission gave permission to Federica Mogherini, the former Vice-President/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, to apply for the post of Rector of the College of Europe, with the condition that she does not get involved in budgetary matters. Indeed, half of the school’s budget is financed through the Jean Monnet programme.

While the procedure is subject to strict confidentiality, Ms Mogherini’s candidacy has received wide publicity, having been announced in a document signed by the President of the Commission herself.

She was nominated by the Academic Council on 14 May 2020 and her appopintment may be endorsed by the Administration Council in June 2020, even though it does not seem to have received any application documents.

1. How will the Commission ensure that Ms Mogherini adheres to her post-mandate duty of integrity and discretion when engaging in the college’s consultancy activities on EU affairs on behalf of stakeholders from Member States and non-EU countries?

2. How will it ensure that she adheres to her obligation not to lobby Members or their staff on behalf of the college or as part of its consultancy activities on matters for which she was responsible in her role as VP/HR?

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