The European Ombudsman has accused the EU Commission of a lack of transparency in dealing with the tobacco lobby. Meetings between Commission officials and industry representatives have not always been documented, writes Emily O’Reilly in a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen published today. That is a lack of transparency.
According to the ombudswoman, the Brussels authority should make meeting minutes available on its own initiative. Back in November 2021, O’Reilly launched an investigation into how the Commission ensures its relationships with the tobacco industry are transparent.
Since the EU has signed the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Control Convention, it must prevent the industry from negatively influencing health policy. This requires being fully and proactively transparent when meeting with lobbyists. The Commission is now due to reply to the letter within three months.
