‘Uber Files’ investigation

Question for written answer  E-002523/2022
to the Commission
Rule 138
Jean-Lin Lacapelle (ID)

The ‘Uber Files’ investigation is based on thousands of internal documents from Uber, which were given to the British newspaper The Guardian[1] and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) by an anonymous source. It would appear from the investigation that Neelie Kroes, former Dutch Vice-President of the European Commission, used her influence over leading national politicians for lobbying purposes.

As a reminder, Neelie Kroes was European Commissioner for Competition (2004-2009) and then for the Digital Agenda (2010-2014). In 2016, she joined Uber’s Public Policy Advisory Board.

The ‘Uber Files’ investigation apparently shows that she participated in a series of meetings on behalf of Uber after her departure from the Commission, despite the fact that she should have refrained from any such activities for a certain period. This rule aims to reduce the risk of conflicts of interest by imposing restrictions on the posts that Commissioners can occupy after leaving office.

Does the European Commission intend to launch an investigation into possible misconduct or breaches of the principles of independence, honesty and discretion committed by Neelie Kroes during and after her term as European Commissioner?

• [1] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/jul/10/former-eu-digital-chief-neelie-kroes-secretly-helped-uber-lobby-dutch-pm-leak-suggests