The top EU official Henrik Hololei, who has come under criticism for free flights, is resigning from his top position in the EU Commission. The Estonian asked for a transfer, said a spokesman for the EU Commission. As of April 1, he will move from the head of the Directorate-General for Transport as an adviser to the Directorate-General for International Partnerships.
The EU Commission came under pressure at the beginning of March because Hololei is said to have flown business class with Qatar Airways for free several times while its general directorate was negotiating a flight agreement with Qatar. According to the authorities, hotel costs for Hololei were also taken over.
The EU Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, stressed at the time that this “raised the legitimate question of possible undue influence on EU decision-making in this area”. However, as a spokesman for the EU Commission explained, Hololei adhered to all applicable rules. Accordingly, as head of the General Directorate, he was responsible for examining possible conflicts of interest in cases that affected himself. However, as a result of the criticism, the authority tightened the requirements.
Qatar is the focus of a bribery scandal involving the European Parliament that became public in December. The country is accused of influencing political decisions. Two MEPs are in custody on suspicion of corruption and money laundering, among other things.
