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EU Health Commissioner stands down after fraud agency investigation

Europe’s Health Commissioner has left his role amid fallout from a corruption investigation.

The European Commission said yesterday that John Dalli resigned after an investigation by EU anti-fraud office OLAF. That investigation concerned a complaint from a tobacco company that a third party had suggested they could use contacts with Dalli to influence proposed legislation on tobacco regulation. No deal between the company and the third party was actually forthcoming, says the Commission.

The OLAF report is not publicly available but a statement from the Commission says it “did not find any conclusive evidence of the direct participation of Mr Dalli but did consider that he was aware of these events”.

Dalli has denied the allegations. “I am taking all action open to me to ensure that these unfounded conclusions will be proved completely false,” he said in a statement given to New Europe.

As well as the tobacco regulation, the EU is also dealing with a number of critical research reforms. Chief among these is an overhaul of the clinical trials directive that could dramatically alter the conduct of clinical trials in Europe (see: Europe proposes revision of clinical-trial rules).

Maros Sefcovic, the EU vice president, is temporarily taking over the health agenda.

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