Earlier today a European Commission press release announced the resignation of Health and Consumer European Commissioner John Dalli. The Maltese Commissioner has issued a statement which follows. This statement is brought to you exclusively by New Europe, which is the first news source to make it public. The European Commission press service has REFUSED was not technically equipped to distribute this press release.

"I will continue to work so that all efforts made by myself and my services to revise the Tobacco Directive will proceed as planned," concludes the statement.


Statement from European Commissioner John Dalli:

This afternoon I was informed verbally by the President of the Commission of the conclusion of an OLAF investigation about an alleged attempt to influence my decisions in respect of the ongoing review of the Tobacco Directive.
Even though the OLAF report states that there is no evidence of my direct participation in these events and that the decision making process of the Commission Services had not been influenced in any way, OLAF concluded that I was aware of these events basing themselves ONLY on circumstantial evidence.

I deny categorically that I was in any way aware of any of these events.

I am taking all action open to me to ensure that these unfounded conclusions will be proved completely false.

I will continue to work so that all efforts made by myself and my services to revise the Tobacco Directive will proceed as planned.