• WECF News & Reports
• News from other sources

Resignation of John Dalli, EU Commissionner for Health and Consumer Protection

Celebration is over: the European Union only had a few days to celebrate its recent Nobel Peace Prize. Today, the resignation of John Dalli from its position of Commissioner in charge of Health and Consumer Protection provides a highly contrasting picture with the recent award.

17.10.2012 |WECF

---

Celebration is over: the European Union only had a few days to celebrate its recent Nobel Peace Prize. Today, the resignation of John Dalli from its position of Commissioner in charge of Health and Consumer Protection provides a highly contrasting picture with the recent award.

The first ever resignation of a European Commissionner over corruption allegations

Commissionner John Dalli announced on 16th October his resignation as member of the European Commission. This shocking decision follows the outcome of investigations by OLAF (the EU anti-fraud's office). Commissionner John Dalli, if not considered by OLAF as directly involved in the corruption attempt by a Maltese entrepreneur to influence forthcoming EU tobacco regulations, is described as having been "aware of these events". Only one day after OLAF's report was released, John Dalli announced its resignation. He is the first European Commissionner to resign over corruption allegations.

Public health and Consumer protection in desperate need of transparency and ethics

Publich health and consumer protection  is very often subject to controversies, the most recent one related to the GMOs study conducted in France by an independent team of researchers.  European citizens consider publich health and consumer protection as a key issue. As an illustration, 96% of EU citizens consider food quality as an important factor. John Dalli's resignation adds to the legetimate fear that EU health and consumer protection policy may not receive right now the due consideration it deserves. On May 2012, EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) was among the 3 EU Agencies to which the European Parliament delayed approval of 2010 accounts for conflicts of interest and other reasons. Diana Banati, Chair of EFSA's Management board, had resigned from its position two days earlier, over her links with the food industry.

Health and Consumer protection are key for the future of the EU, and that of any society. The highest responsibilities in this field require the highest levels of ethics and transparency. Only these conditions can ensure that Europeans will trust EU institutions. Emerging risks such a endocrine disrupters, GMOs, nanotechnologies impacts on human health therefore require the EU to make conflicts of interests and corruption history.

---

Related News

Annual Report WECF 2016

WECF Strategic Plan 2015-2020