06/03/2007

BRUXELLES (Dow Jones)--Un groupe de travail sur la transparence conteste le rôle de conseiller que joue auprès de Louis Michel, *le commissaire européen au Développement, Etienne Davignon, président chez Suez (12052.FR) du comité pour l'éthique, l'environnement et le développement durable, rapporte le Financial Times mardi.

Eric Wesselius, du Corporate Europe Observatory, se demande s'il est approprié qu'un cadre dirigeant d'une entreprise concernée par les questions de privatisation dans le secteur de l'eau, par exemple, conseille le commissaire européen chargé du développement.

- Site Internet: http://www.ft.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

*Etienne Davignon membre du conseil d'administration de SUEZ Né en 1933.

• Vice-Président de SUEZ

• Président du Conseil de SN AirHolding, Recticel et CMB.

• Vice-président de Suez-Tractebel.

• Membre du Conseil de Suez, Sofina, Real Software, Accor (France) et Gilead (EU).

Composition du CA de Suez au 5 mai 2006








Financial Times

EU adviser's role questioned By Andrew Bounds in Brussels
March 6 2007 02:00 | Last updated: March 6 2007 02:00

A transparency group yesterday questioned the role of a leading businessman as adviser to Europe's development chief as the European Commission published the names of its special advisers for the first time.

Etienne Davignon, a director and shareholder in Suez, the Franco-Belgian utility, is one of four advisers to Louis Michel, the EU development commissioner.

Erik Wesselius, of Corporate Europe Observatory, a campaign group, said: "Is it appropriate for a director of a company with an interest in issues such as water privatisation to be advising the development commissioner?"

The list, published yesterday, says Mr Davignon advis-es Mr Michel on Africa, "notably the role of the private sector in the development of sub-Saharan Africa and to mobilise the private sector for development policy".

Suez runs water and sanitation services in Johannesburg, supplies drinking water in Senegal and collects waste in Morocco.

Mr Davignon was an EU commissioner in the 1980s.

Mr Michel's spokesman could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for Mr Davignon said there was nothing unusual about the relationship. He said: "He mainly passes on his experience as a commissioner. He also had a role dealing with the foreign policy of Belgium, especially dealing with the Congo [during independence talks]. He has no party political
affiliation."

Mr Davignon, 75, is also a director of Accor, the hotel company, chairman of SN Brussels airlines and has 11,111 shares in Suez. He is also one of several former commissioners who are co-ordinating big transport projects for the Commission.

Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace prize winner and founder of the Grameen bank in Bangladesh, also advises Mr Michel.

Another well-known figure is Günter Burghardt, a former Commission ambassador to the US. He works in Brussels for the Washington lawyers Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw, and advises Olli Rehn, the enlargement com-missioner, on the Balkans.

Franco Frattini, the Italian justice commissioner, has 11 advisers, all Italian. Only one, a human rights expert, Daniela Bas, is paid. The others have helped in previous jobs in Italy, his spokesman said.

Nicholas Negroponte, the inventor of the $100 laptop, advises Jan Figel, the education commissioner.

Siim Kallas, the anti-fraud commissioner, published the list after pressure from non-governmental organisations and MEPs. He said the Commission needed independent expert advice but should say who it came from.

In February, Rolf Linkohr, a power company lobbyist who advised Andris Piebalgs, the energy commissioner, had his contract terminated for failing to declare that he had no conflict of interest. Mr Linkohr, a former MEP, says he was always transparent about his multiple roles and
was awaiting legal clarification before signing the document.

Two other special advisers had their contracts ended in January. They included Dina Akkelidou, who was recruit-ed by Markos Kyprianou, the Cypriot health commissioner, after she resigned as a cabinet minister when convicted of trying to influence a court case. Her conviction was overturnedand this January she won a seat as an MP in Cyprus. Mr Kyprianou then asked her to leave, his spokesman said, as this posed a conflict of interest.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007

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