Abstract

This paper discusses the reform of the European Commission in the wake of the mass resignations of March 1999. It places reform in the framework of the global business ethics movement by making the case for business ethics in government. It examines the Committee of Independent Experts’ report as well as the Commission’s White Paper on reform. It argues that effective Commission reform is not possible without fundamental culture change, and puts forward thirteen recommendations that, if implemented, are calculated to improve ethics in the Commission’s culture, thereby reducing the incidence of questionable conduct. It concludes by maintaining that effective reform is possible, albeit difficult