The complainant was concerned about how the European Investment Bank (EIB) dealt with the notification of a former vice-president to take up a post-mandate position in a 'national promotional bank' in Italy. The complainant raised concerns about this move, for example about risks of conflicts of interest.

The Ombudsman found that how the EIB dealt with the risks of conflicts of interest in this case was inadequate and constituted maladministration. However, as this could no longer be remedied in this particular case, the Ombudsman closed the inquiry with suggestions for improvement, with a view to preventing similar issues arising in future.

In particular, the EIB's Ethics and Compliance Committee should be in a position to impose measures to mitigate any risks of conflicts of interest that are identified also in relation to prospective posts taken up by former EIB Management Committee members in the public sector.