New era for accountability as EU Commission chief slammed over texts with Pfizer CEO
The president of the European Commission has been accused of maladministration by the EU watchdog today, over a hidden text exchange with Pfizer’s CEO during the pandemic.
The messages, which have not yet been found, are thought to have helped the European Union get hold of 1.8bn Covid-19 vaccines, at a time of massive global demand, according to a report by the New York Times.
In her final statement on the issue, EU ombudsman Emily O’Reilly said that it has left a “regrettable impression of an EU institution that is not forthcoming on matters of significant public interest.
“The recent revelations about lobbying tactics by an American multinational in Europe, including leaked text messages, shows the urgency of this issue for public administrations,” she said, upholding her verdict of maladministration for failing to “answer the basic question of whether the texts in question exist.”
Her comments come one year after an initial request for the missing messages by a journalist, in what O’Reilly has suggested is a new era for political accountability.
“Public access to work-related text messages is a new area for the EU administration and one that needs to be tackled substantively and in good faith. This inquiry is a wake-up call to all EU institutions,” O’Reilly added, explaining that all work-related texts should be recognised as official documents – and therefore subject to rules on public access.
Morning Wire has contacted Pfizer and the Commission for comment.