Key facts
- Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho said she decided to open an inquiry into the NGOs' complaint about the appointment.
- The inquiry requires the watchdog to inspect Commission documents and possibly meet relevant Commission staff, Anjinho wrote.
- Snabe holds the unpaid envoy role until the end of March 2027, with a remit including AI infrastructure and frontier AI.
- The Commission has previously said Snabe's report will be public and subject to public scrutiny.
- The Commission denied access to documents around Snabe's appointment to European Parliament lawmakers and to POLITICO.
- The Commission did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication.
The European Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into how the European Commission handled conflicts of interest when it appointed Jim Hagemann Snabe, supervisory board chairman of Siemens, as its special envoy for industrial artificial intelligence, according to a letter dated to the complaint seen by POLITICO.
Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho wrote to Corporate Europe Observatory that the complainant argued the Commission did not properly identify, assess and address actual or potential conflicts of interest, and wanted the appointment revoked. "I have decided to open an inquiry into this complaint," she wrote, adding that the watchdog needed to inspect Commission documents and possibly meet relevant Commission staff members.
A group of NGOs including Transparency International and Corporate Europe Observatory complained in June about the choice. They warned that Snabe's continuing role at Siemens may compromise the envoy's independence and impartiality. Corporate Europe Observatory researcher and campaigner Bram Vranken said it was impossible for Snabe to navigate the potential conflicts, citing what he described as direct financial interests in the data center build-out and in loosening AI rules.
The Ombudsman launched a probe in September into the Commission over its failure to respond to the NGO concerns, and the inquiry marks a further step. Snabe serves in the unpaid role until the end of March 2027, with responsibilities including a report on AI infrastructure, frontier AI technologies and industrial AI adoption.
The appointment drew criticism because of Siemens' role in lobbying to loosen AI rules. Siemens was one of the main proponents of exempting products covered by the EU's machinery rules from the bloc's flagship AI law, a change EU legislators agreed to in the summer and which is now part of the law. Siemens is also part of European Tech Creators, a lobbying group that includes SAP, ASML, Mistral, Airbus, Ericsson, Nokia and BMW and has met von der Leyen.
The Commission has previously defended the appointment by saying Snabe's report will be publicly available and subject to public scrutiny, and that his advice will be visible and accessible to all. The Commission did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication, and it has denied access to a series of documents around the appointment to European Parliament lawmakers and to POLITICO.