Ombudsman asked to rule on release of ‘Dalligate’ documents

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) has submitted a formal complaint to the EU Ombudsman about the European Commission’s handling of what has become known as ‘Dalligate’.

The former European Commissioner for health and consumer affairs, John Dalli, resigned in October in circumstances that were examined by OLAF, the European Anti-fraud Office, and that are still being investigated. Dalli strenuously denies any wrongdoing.

In its complaint, CEO alleges that the Commission has been guilty of secrecy, the selective release of documents and failure to fulfill its obligations under EU transparency legislation.

On 26 October 2012, CEO requested access to “all documents related to Commissioner Dalli’s resignation over the issues covered in the OLAF investigation, including all minutes (and other notes) of meetings, all correspondence (including by email), both internal and external, and any other documents held by the Commission on these matters’.

The CEO alleges that the Commission has refused to disclose the most important of these documents.

And it alleges that ‘the Commission has unduly refused access to documents, failed to provide clarity about which documents falling under the scope of request actually exist and used delay tactics’, in what amounts to ‘a pattern of serious maladministration’.