Europe’s MPs still digging for more information on Dalli resignation

Members of the European Parliament are refusing to take no for an answer from the European Commission chief on access to a report on John Dalli, who resigned last month from his position as European Commissioner responsible for health and consumer affairs.

German Liberal MEP, Michael Theurer, the head of the budget control committee, reportedly told the EUobserver that political groups had asked parliament president, Martin Schulz, to “insist” on “full access” to a report by the EU’s anti-fraud office, OLAF, on why Dalli lost his job.

Commission chief, José Manuel Barroso, in a letter to Schulz on 30 October, said he was legally bound to withhold the file.

“It’s not a question of the commission refusing access to the report; it’s a question of the commission fulfilling its legal obligations,” his spokeswoman, Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, was quoted as saying.

OLAF’s investigation, which followed a complaint by Swedish Match, allegedly linked Dalli to a Maltese businessman who allegedly approached Swedish Match and offered to meet with Dalli regarding the EU’s policy on snus in exchange for €60 million.

OLAF did not find conclusive evidence of Dalli directly participating in the approach. Dalli resigned on October 16 denying any wrongdoing.