Concept of conflict of interest

Competent authorities should ensure that their rules and practices consider that situations where a conflict of interest arises include situations where a member of staff or the member of a competent authority’s governance body has a direct or indirect personal interest that influences or compromises, or may be perceived as influencing or compromising, the impartial and objective performance of their professional duties and responsibilities.

For this purpose:

• a) a personal interest should include any benefit or potential benefit, of a financial or non-financial nature, for a member of staff or a member of the competent authority’s governance body, his/her direct family members including but not limited to his/her spouse, registered partner in accordance with national law, child or parent;
• b) a perceived conflict of interest should cover objective circumstances affecting the trust and confidence in the independence and impartiality of a member of staff or a member of the competent authority’s governance body even if the conflict of interest does not materialise or even if the member does not actually benefit from the situation.