Two months after former EU Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso announced his new position at US banker Goldman Sachs, the EU is investigating whether the job meets ethical standards. Jose Manuel Barroso, the former president of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014, is facing accusations that he has damaged the EU’s “integrity and reputation” with his decision to join US investment bank Goldman Sachs. In his letter to EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, Juncker said he would be seeking clarification from Barroso on his new responsibilities and the terms of his contract with Goldman Sachs. He also assured the ombudsman that Barroso would be treated as a lobbyist when received in Brussels, not as a former president. “It’s very hard not to interpret this move as the former Commission president swapping sides, against the EU,” said Vicky Cann, a transparency campaigner for the Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO).

Source: Daily News Egypt September 13, 2016 01:41 UTC