EU Local weather Motion Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has refused to reveal who he consulted for when working for administration consultancy McKinsey, in a letter to the European Parliament seen by Euractiv.
The letter, dated 30 November, specifies that the corporate can not disclose the paperwork on account of “confidentiality obligations and expectations,” Hoekstra defined.
“In gentle of previous consumer confidentiality agreements, I’ve no permission by McKinsey to reveal the listing of shoppers or tasks I served throughout my tenure on the agency,” the commissioner mentioned.
McKinsey is a worldwide administration consulting agency whose prime shoppers embody the US defence and vitality departments, and Saudi Arabian oil group Aramco.
In keeping with the letter, the disclosure was requested by the European Parliament, which endorsed Hoekstra as EU Commissioner in early October 2023, taking on from Frans Timmersmans, who resigned to run as chief of the Dutch socialists in November’s nationwide elections.
Throughout his hearings with MEPs, Hoekstra mentioned that he would get hold of McKinsey’s permission to share particulars about his shoppers when working for them.
Hoekstra labored for Mckinsey for roughly a decade, after being an worker for oil and gasoline main Shell between 2002 and 2004. His employment historical past prompted criticism from a variety of MEPs throughout a number of hearings earlier than his designation.
Hoekstra additionally specified that the corporate confirmed that he has “not served any oil firms or different fossil gas firms whereas serving as an worker of the corporate”.
The Commissioner is at the moment on the world Local weather Summit COP28, whereas Mckinsey is lobbying for its oil and gasoline shoppers, to decelerate the discount of use of fossil fuels for the long run, completely different sources and leaked paperwork obtained by AFP revealed forward of the UN local weather Summit.
The problem of potential battle of pursuits amongst individuals working for the European Fee has turn out to be an more and more controversial concern lately.
Earlier this yr, European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager backed the nominee of the US citizen Fiona Scott Morton as chief economist of the Directorate-Basic for Competitors, prompting criticism – significantly from France – due to her nationality and her positions up to now as a marketing consultant for GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Fb, Apple, Microsoft).
Following the criticism, Scott Morton ultimately determined to withdraw from the publish.
[Edited by Benjamin Fox]
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