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[Nickbat]

"The aim of this system is to ease their return to the labour market, to maintain their independence after their time as commissioner. We want to help them so they don't have to jump on every job offer on the way."

Yes, poor people. We really do need to pay them loads of money lest they end up at the job centre.

Example: Lord Mandelson...

...still being paid more than £8,000 a month by the EU despite leaving his job in Brussels two years ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315127/Mandelson-paid-8-000-month-EU-years-quitting-Brussels.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

All together, now! 

[alfie]

There's rules for them, and different rules for us.
Always was,always will be.

[Varche]

That is totally outrageous. It is high time that the EU commission woke up to reality .

However , this sort of payment is common in the private business world. Instead of being sacked, folk are "let go" with outrageous payments. Expect more of this when the Cameron axe falls..................................................................

[Terbs]

Below is an extract from an 'Open Europe' bulletin I have just received


'It has been revealed that 17 former EU Commissioners are still eligible to receive at least €96,000 per year from the EU in the form of a "transition allowance", despite the fact that some of them are now working as politicians or lobbyists. Most Commissioners serve for at least five years, entitling them to more than the €96,000 minimum. (EUobserver, 23 September)

The "allowance", which dates back to the 1960s, is intended to help ex-officials acclimatise to life outside the Commission, and is paid for the first three years after their job has ended. However, there is nothing in the rules preventing former Commissioners who go on to serve in national governments from receiving this money, raising concerns about conflicts of interest. For example, the list of former Commissioners who are still on the EU's payroll includes Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and the Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. (BBC, 24 September)

Another two of the former Commissioners receiving "transition allowances" - Belgian Louis Michel and Polish Danuta Hübner - are now MEPs in the European Parliament, which is supposed to hold the Commission to account. Louis Michel has defended his decision to pocket the allowance saying that the money "is a professional right". European Commission spokesman Michael Mann commented: "There will be an overhaul next year. We are conscious some things must be done". (FTD Independent, 24 September) 

Other Commissioners have gone on to jobs in the private sector, such as Charlie McCreevy who took a job at the airline Ryanair, which has recently been embroiled in competition cases with the European Commission, and ex-Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg who currently works for Fipra, a PR consultancy lobbying on maritime issues. '