Tobacco Law in Disarray After Dalli Resignation

Source from:  Tobacco World  10/19/2012

The European Commission is trying to contain the damage from a bribery scandal that precipitated the resignation of John Dalli, the European commissioner for health and consumer policy.

As Dalli hit back against the allegations, accusing President Jose Manuel Barroso, the Commission president, of forcing the resignation of the commission was the last night fending off claims that his planned tobacco legislation had been ambushed.

Dalli, a former finance and foreign minister of Malta, categorically denies the case made by OLAF, the European Union's anti-fraud office that he was aware that an entrepreneur from Malta was trying to extract money from the Swedish tobacco company in exchange for persuading Dalli change his tobacco proposals.

OLAF submitted its report to the Commission on Monday and Dalli's resignation was announced the next afternoon. Dalli later said that Barroso had threatened to sack him and that he not been given the opportunity to respond to the allegations against him. The Commission said that Dalli decided to resign in order to protect their reputation and Commission's reputation. He became the first European commissioner ever to resign because of impropriety.

Malta must now nominate a replacement to send to Brussels, who will have to be approved by the European Parliament and of the Council of Ministers. Amid signs that this may be a difficult process, the future of Dalli's policy portfolios Dalli on the Commission remains unclear.

Barroso announced on Tuesday that Maro? ?efcovic, commissioner for inter-institutional relations and administration, will take charge of dalli's dossiers. But yesterday, the commission said that ?efcovic would not a substitute Dalli on the planned trip to India next week

A Commission spokesman also said that the new Maltese commissioner might not be given responsibility or the same file that Dalli had had – raising the possibility of re-mixing.

The commission said yesterday that Dalli's registration operation is carried out on a bill of health, food and consumer policy. Dalli was planning to announce stricter rules cigarette package before the end of the year and now some doubt that it will happen.

The report will now OLAF sent to the prosecutor in Malta, who will decide on how to take action.

The scandal has put the behavior of lobbyists in the spotlight. The tobacco industry has been involved in intense lobbying to try to finish the proposal Dalli tough rules on cigarette packs. The charges against Dally was brought Swedish Match, a manufacturer of smokeless tobacco snus, raising suspicions among anti-tobacco campaign, Dally was trapped.

Giovanni Kessler, Director General of OLAF, said yesterday that his department has investigated the likelihood that Dalli was created but came to the conclusion that this was not the case.

However, the tobacco companies to use the capabilities of their retirement to call for a motion to tobacco products should be delayed.

In a statement the commission said that the OLAF investigation "found that the Maltese entrepreneur approached the company, using his contacts with Mr Dalli and sought to gain financial benefits in exchange for influence on the possible future legislative proposal on chewing."

He added: "There is no deal was struck between the company and the entrepreneur and not payment was made."

"The OLAF report found no conclusive evidence of the direct participation of Mr Dalli, but I think that he was aware of these events." Enditem