Parliamentary Question: Conflicting interests in copyright-related issues

12 April 2011 E-003642/2011   Question for written answer to the Commission Rule 117 Marietje Schaake (ALDE) and Christian Engström (Verts/ALE)  Subject: Conflicting interests in copyright-related issues  According to media reports, the Commission has appointed a new Head of Unit for the department responsible for copyright-related issues (e.g. ACTA and IPRED). This person is, according to the reports, a former Director for Global Legal Policy at the phonographic industry lobby organisation IFPI. Can the Commission confirm if this is the case? Does the Commission not see any problems in recruiting top civil servants from special interest organisations, especially where they are put in charge of dossiers directly related to their former employers? If not, why not? Does the Commission feel that such an appointment would help to build confidence in the European Parliament and the general public that the Commission can be trusted to handle copyright-related issues in a fair and balanced manner? Some related links on the Internet: http://keionline.org/node/1105 http://www.netzpolitik.org/2011/eu-lobbyist-der-musikindustrie-vor-wechsel-zur-eu-kommission/ http://www.pcinpact.com/actu/news/62761-ifpi-commission-europeenne-hadopi.htm http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/366436/dismay-as-eu-appoints-ex-music-lobbyist-as-copyright-tzar#ixzz1IAuTYorv Please find the answer here.