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"Does the fall of former European Health Commissioner, John Dalli, also cause problems for the President of the Commission?" asks Belgian daily De Morgen. The Green Party group of the European Parliament has requested an investigation into the "secret meetings between the tobacco industry and José Manuel Barroso's staff," the paper explains. The Greens hope to obtain the support of the other political parties at an upcoming meeting of group presidents.
De Morgen notes that Barroso demanded Dalli's resignation, on October 16 following a complaint from a Swedish tobacco producer and suspicions that the commissioner had of a conflict of interests. Dalli denied the allegations but admitted that he had omitted to mention a meeting with a tobacco industry lobbyist, which, "according to the European Commission is a clear violation of its code of conduct as well as that of the World Health Organisation," De Morgen says. Yet, the Commission itself has had "at least six undeclared contacts with the tobacco industry," says Green MEP José Bové, adding that "if Dalli had to resign, other leaders [having violated the same rules] should do the same". In addition, says De Morgen –
Green MEPs Bart Staes and Bové say that, thanks to intensive lobbying of Barroso's departments, the tobacco industry managed, as of 2010, to delay the introduction of the new, stricter tobacco directive. Thus, [the Commission's General-Secretary, Catherine] Day, twice delayed crucial talks regarding the directive.
The conservative European People's Party (EPP), the majority group in the European Parliament, partially supports the Green's proposal. But it fears that "putting together a special commission will be time-consuming". According to the EPP, the priority is to have access to the report filed by the independent Supervisory Committee, the internal watchdog of OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office. The Committee is said to have found irregularities in the OLAF investigation, that originally pointed the finger at Dalli.
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