The European Commission decided to revise its Code of Conduct for Commissioners including some changes which will reinforce the ethical framework by strengthening and clarifying several of the previous provisions.

The new revision of the Code of Conduct follows several studies carried out recently, by the European Commission and the European Parliament, and by the OECD (Post-Public Employment – Good Practices for Preventing Conflict of Interest, 2010). The more relevant changes are:

• Clearer rules on political activities, including Commissioners' participation in electoral campaigns;
• Stronger rules on activities after leaving the College, including guiding criteria for the Ad hoc Ethical Committee’s assessment, and the extension of the notification obligation of post-office activities from 12 to 18 months;
• Annual revision of the declarations of interests;
• Introduction of a clear procedure to deal with any potential risk of conflict of interest during the mandate;
• Clearer rules on gifts and hospitality;
• Exclusion of spouses, partners and direct family members from the Cabinets of the members of the Commission;
• Reinforcement of the remit of the Ad hoc Ethical Committee.

The current Code of Conduct is already one of the most rigorous applied to holders of public office and it takes account of the views expressed by the European Parliament. The Code of Conduct for Commissioners fully respects Article 17 of the Treaty on the European Union and Article 245 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European. The Commission aims with this Code to provide an example for other European institutions.