MEPs deplore lack of transparency in selecting EU Commission Secretary General

The appointment of Martin Selmayr as EU i Commission Secretary General lacked transparency, Budgetary Control MEPs said in a hearing with Commissioner Oettinger.

Several MEPs suggested changes to be made to the rules setting out the appointment procedures of EU officials to avoid similar situations in future, while others pointed out the procedure “looked bad”, despite being legal.

Mr Oettinger, the Commissioner responsible for budget and human resources, stressed that rules had been followed and that Mr. Selmayr was qualified “professionally and personally” for the job he holds from 1 March.

The Committee will submit outstanding follow-up questions for written replies to the European Commission.

The video recording of the hearing is available here.

Background

The conclusions of the public hearing will contribute to a resolution to be voted on by the whole European Parliament on 19 April in Strasbourg. The hearing built on a series of written questions to which the European Commission had replied previously.