The European Commission is banning staff from accepting free tickets to the Olympics, Euros and Eurovision
Even if you feel great about getting something for free, staff at the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, can no longer accept it, whether it’s Olympic tickets or concert tickets.
The commission reportedly told its staff in an email that it would ban the free products because they “raise questions about compliance with the ethical conduct expected of members and staff, or could create reputational risks for the commission and those involved,” Politics reported on Wednesday.
This rule is said to apply to large-scale events where tickets are often difficult to obtain, such as the Eurovision Song Contest and the Olympics. There is no clear threshold for the value of gifts that staff can accept. While commissioners can accept some gifts as long as they are under €150, they are encouraged to decline them.
One exception that may apply is at sporting events if the employee is representing a committee or the tickets are given as a courtesy.
“The reputational risk of accepting tickets is high when the general public has difficulty obtaining tickets,” the email said.
The general guidance for staff is that “a simple offer of tickets constitutes a gift that should normally be refused,” a European Commission spokesperson said. Luck. If employees have to accept gifts for diplomatic or other reasons, they must ask permission.
“Commissioners will not seek or accept gifts unless there is a legitimate reason,” the spokesperson said.
The new rules have emerged amid scandals involving commission members on similar issues. For example, Henrik Hololei, who used to work in the transport department, took free flights during a major deal negotiation last year. The commission has a pattern of accepting trips paid for by third parties. part or whole, Politics establish.
Last June, the European Commission proposed application a standardised approach for all EU agencies on accepting gifts, hospitality and travel arrangements from third parties.
High-ranking political figures are often closely scrutinized for such actions because of ethical conflicts. Such actions can create a quid pro quo relationship, giving politicians more power. to affect business.
There are many examples even outside the European Union.
For example, last month, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was reported to have received £76,000 in event tickets, clothes and other free gifts from donors following the 2019 general election, the Financial Times reportedThese fees are usually disclosed to the UK House of Commons register of interests, excluding international travel expenses.
Starmer defends his decision to accept free ticket for football games, saying that letting him sit in the stands was for security reasons.
