Dec 22, 2023 at 7:25 PM Update: an hour ago
Former European Commissioner Neelie Kroes did not violate any European rules with her lobbying work for taxi service Uber. This is the conclusion of the European Union’s fraud office after an investigation.
News website Follow the Money reported last year that Kroes had carried out lobbying work for Uber. This is said to have happened a few months after she resigned as European Commissioner for Digital Affairs in 2014.
Kroes is said to have lobbied for Uber during her ‘cooling-off period’, although this is prohibited. The cooling-off period is intended to prevent conflicts of interest. Shortly after that period expired, Kroes started as an advisor for Uber.
Following the allegations, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) opened an investigation at the request of the European Commission. The investigation shows that OLAF has not identified any violations of the rules of conduct for European Commissioners. The investigation into Kroes is closed.
When the accusations became known, Kroes said that she had not broken any rules. She is said to have only had discussions with Uber for her new position as special envoy of the StartupDelta. This was an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs to attract start-ups to the Netherlands.
On Friday, Kroes responded to the conclusion of the investigation. “Even though I knew from day one that I had done nothing wrong, it is still very nice that the whole matter is behind me once and for all and I am unconditionally absolved of any blame,” she says.
-
EU fraud agency is investigating Neelie Kroes’ lobbying work
-
Neelie Kroes already lobbied for Uber shortly after her departure as European Commissioner
Image: ANP
Read more about:
neelie kroesEconomics
2023-12-22 18:25:10
#Neelie #Kroes #broken #rules #lobbying #Uber #Economy
