BackThe Ombudsman has encouraged the Council of the European Union to assess whether its guidance for corporate sponsorship of its rotating presidency is effective at mitigating potential conflicts of interest and reputational risks for the EU, and to explore possible measures to help mitigate these risks.
While formal Council proceedings cannot be sponsored, the Presidency is also responsible for organising informal meetings of ministers as well as social and cultural events, and it has become common practice for Member States to use sponsorship to cover their costs.
The Ombudsman commended the Council for adopting guidance for these sponsorships following an inquiry she conducted in 2019 and for taking steps to ensure Member States are aware of it, but said that the Council had still not fully addressed public concerns around the use of corporate sponsorship.
In particular, the Ombudsman noted that there continues to be a lack of transparency around the identity of sponsors, the nature of their support, and what they gain in return. She also highlighted that, while the Council had prohibited the use of its own logo, sponsors could still use the presidency logo for commercial purposes.
The Ombudsman further stressed that the public may not always draw a distinction between the different categories of activities of the Presidency, and may perceive any activity as linked to the Council or the EU administration as a whole.
Source: European Ombudsman
