European commissioner Phil Hogan’s pitch to lead the World Trade Organization has prompted Brussels to apply conflict of interest rules limiting his public appearances just as the bloc launches a strategic review of EU commercial policy.
Mr Hogan, the EU’s trade policy chief, confirmed last week that he was “exploring” a candidacy for the soon to be vacant position of WTO director-general, but EU governments have yet to decide whether to rally around a single European candidate or consider throwing their weight behind applicants from elsewhere.
A spokesperson for the European Commission said on Tuesday that the institution had decided to set boundaries that would prevent any potential ethics concerns as Mr Hogan considered his next move.
“The commission decided, in agreement with him, to apply a certain number of measures,” the spokesperson said, adding that these included Mr Hogan refraining from “public appearances that might distract from the subjects at hand”.
Brussels has also put in place closer oversight of Mr Hogan’s work under what it calls the “four-eyes principle”, saying that this would apply to “policy proposals for which he would be responsible, negotiating positions in trade negotiations, or decisions that he takes on behalf of the institution”.
One immediate consequence of the new protocols was that the commissioner did not give a press conference to launch the first overarching review of EU trade policy since 2015, instead delivering prepared remarks to an online event organised by the European University Institute.
Diplomats said the new measures would increase the pressure on Mr Hogan to decide quickly whether he wished to formally enter the race for the leadership of the WTO. With current director-general Roberto Azevêdo set to depart on August 31, four candidates have so far been nominated by their national governments: Jesús Seade Kuri from Mexico, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria, Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh from Egypt and Tudor Ulianovsch from Moldova. The deadline for nominations is July 8.
Countries including Germany and France have argued that the EU’s priority should be to find the candidate best able to rehabilitate the WTO by overcoming the entrenched disagreements among its members, rather than necessarily securing the job for Europe. The outlook for the race remains highly uncertain, especially given the lack of clarity about whom the US might support, and the presence of two competing African candidates.
In the consultation paper launching its trade policy review, the EU said there was a need to adapt in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the strategic retrenchment of the US and the competitive threat posed by China.
Mr Hogan, who is widely seen in Brussels policymaking circles as a powerful advocate for open markets and the fight against protectionism, said on Tuesday that globalisation “is here to stay” but the EU must become “more assertive in enforcing our rights and defending ourselves against unfair competition”. Reiterating the EU’s position, he called China a “systemic rival”.
The commissioner also called for root and branch reform of the WTO, saying that the organisation was “in crisis and operating according to a rule book written in 1995”.
Brussels insisted that Mr Hogan’s ability to do his job would not be compromised by the new conduct rules.
“It is not at all that there are limits to his activity as commissioner, but simply a certain number of simple precautionary measures which are perfectly understandable in the current context,” the commission spokesperson said.
