Tuesday, March 16, 1999 Published at 12:04 GMT
World: Europe Jacques Santer: A message of defiance Jacques Santer appears in no mood to pack his bags
Statement by European Commission President Jacques Santer at a morning news conference after the resignation of the entire commission.
I promised that we would act on the report by the Committee of Independent Experts. Yesterday the commission assumed its responsibilities. I would like to say a few things on its
behalf.
The report considers a small number of specific cases
which have recently attracted criticism from the European
Parliament. The cases are analysed in great detail and, while
the findings reveal certain malfunctions and one instance of
favouritism, I would point out that there is no suggestion that
any member of the commission was involved in fraud or corruption
or stood to gain personally.
I note that on the basis of a tiny number of cases of
fraud and malfunctioning, which did indeed merit criticism, the
committee's report paints a picture of total absence of
responsibility on the part of the institution and its officials.
This picture is distorted. I consider the tone of the report's
conclusions to be wholly unjustified.
I do not accept that four years of work, during which
this commission has achieved its full policy programme, can be
reduced to six cases of irregularities, four of which date back
to before 1995. I would also have hoped that the Committee of
Independent Experts might have attached appropriate significance
to the very substantial reforms carried out by this commission
since 1995 and the ambitious programme announced to parliament
last January.
The commission's decision yesterday was a political
act. We have taken our responsibilities, even if we judge the
report to be unbalanced. Sometimes criticism can be salutory; we must use this crisis as a catalyst for deep and lasting
reform in all the European institutions. I am hopeful that this crisis will help to re-establish the smooth functioning of the institutions.
I have informed the president of the European Council of the decision taken yesterday. I pointed out to him that, in line with the treaties, we will continue to perform our functions until our replacement is provided for under the relevant procedures.