Brussels, 02/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 2 April, the Corporate European Observatory (CEO) announced it had filed a complaint against the Swedish company, Swedish Match, for violating the EU's code of conduct for lobbyists. Swedish Match, which produces “snus” tobacco (chewing tobacco) is at the origin of the affair involving John Dalli, the former European health commissioner who was forced to resign for influence peddling (see EUROPE 10813).
The CEO denounces Swedish Match's “unethical lobbying” involving going to Malta to find the personal contacts of the former European commissioner and hiring unregistered lobbyists, as well as the fact that the company lied to MEPs about the “Dalligate” affair.
Swedish Match employed a Maltese lawyer, Gayle Kimberley, in order to gain direct access to Dalli. Kimberley is not in the transparency register, the CEO deplores, and is said to have lied about the number of meetings held with Dalli. (LC/transl.jl)