The committee resists. “The decision has been made. We see no reason to reconsider.” European Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant announced the appointment of American Fiona Scott Morton, an academic, lobbyist and former executive director of the Obama administration, to a key position regulating big technology companies, on Friday, July 14. As long as she hasn’t signed her contract, she can move on.Nuance, a senior European official. So far, nothing has been signed.
On July 11, the Community Executive Director approved the appointment of this expert in competition economics to the position of chief economist in the powerful General Directorate of Competition. This is the one Responsible for investigating anti-competitive behavior of companies, permitting mergers and acquisitions, as well as checking government assistance from various governments.
The citizenship of the new recruit has been transferred, while in theory, apart from some very framed exceptions, community institutions are required to hire citizens of the European Union (EU). Moreover, the UNHCR in Brussels does not employ any Americans. but that is not all. Fiona Scott Morton, in addition to her teaching activities at Yale University, is also an advisor to some of the major digital companies that the EU is eyeing. This thus raises issues of conflict of interest.
In the new employee’s resume, which was sent to the commissioners before his appointment, the subject is not very detailed, in contrast to his academic publications which extend over several pages. “I am not an employee of any consulting firm, I am an independent consultant”, she writes. She also announces assignments for three firms: most often for Charles River Associates — known in the Brussels bubble for being Gafam’s favorite lobbyist and for which she worked between 2006 and 2011 — but also for Bates White and Cornerstone.
hostile French reactions
I’ve worked on five or six files over the past ten years. Each case represents a budget mostly between 1 and 2 million dollars [entre 894 000 euros et 1,79 million d’euros] »She adds, without giving further details and without the committee deeming it necessary to determine who Fiona Scott Morton actually worked for. Among its customers, however, we can mention, among others, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.
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