Brussels, 12/11/2003 (Agence Europe) -The European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control decided on Tuesday to hear European Commission President Romano Prodi on the Eurostat affair in Strasbourg on 18 November. We have presented the Commission President with around twenty written questions which remain unanswered, said Italian Radical Gianfranco Dell'Alba in a press release.
The German weekly Der Stern stated that Romano Prodi will use the opportunity to propose that Olaf's powers be reduced considerably. According to Der Stern, the intention is for Olaf not to get involved automatically in inquiries into Commission staff, but instead the Anti-Fraud Office of the EU's role will be limited to cases of "serious fraud". Romano Prodi "criticises Franz-Hermann Brüner (Director of Olaf) for reacting too slowly to the scandal involving millions of Euros and the Statistical Office of the EU, Eurostat", says a Stern press release.