Luxembourg, 23/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Advocate General Geelhoed has just underlined that persons holding high office must not only be regarded as competent from a professional point of view, but are also seen as being of irreproachable behaviour and that Edith Cresson, former European Commissioner, accused of favouritism, be deprived of 50% of her Commissioner's pension rights.
In his lengthy conclusions, Leendert Geelhoed drafted a communiqué in which he emphasised that it is in this respect that the Commission accuses Edith Cresson of favouritism and was thus in breach of the rules of her office of Commissioner. He indicated that the various facts are symptomatic of a basic attitude indicating that she was willing, whilst in office as a Member of the Commission, to use that office to extend benefits to personal friends at the expense of the Community budget. Leendert Geelhoed believes that the financial sanction should be a 50% reduction in pension rights and not total deprivation of these rights due to the lapse of time between her leaving office, proceedings being brought, the damage to her reputation and the general administrative culture in the Commission at the time.
The decision will be made in the next few months. There has never been any statistics on the number of cases in which Advocates General are supported by the Court. The 80% figure mentioned over a number of years takes into account the number of similar affairs that have already had rulings and on which the Court can only confirm what the Advocates General say.
During the hearing of the different parties, Edith Cresson's lawyers pleaded institutional hounding over a meaningless case, while Commission representatives saw the facts as the most glaring examples of favouritism committed in the institution for years (EUROPE 9076).
The Commission accused Edith Cresson of having recruited her stomatologist, Doctor René Berthelot, in disregard of the administrative rules in force (“Edith Cresson's dentist” is an expression coined up by a satirical French publication and was even used at the Commission). She was also criticised for have offered a contract to (never executed) a corporate lawyer, Timm Riedinger.