CoR president Bore launches scathing attacks on top official

Date: 15/05/03

By David Cronin and Martin Banks

SIR Albert Bore, president of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), has launched an astonishing attack on the secretary-general of the institution, accusing him of showing "a lack of respect".

His disparaging remarks about Vincenzo Falcone, which are likely to cause uproar in the CoR, appear in a letter Bore sent to the Parliament's budget control committee following calls for an inquiry into alleged nepotism and fraud.

The committee had written to Bore requesting key documents and assurances that a probe by OLAF, the EU's anti-fraud office, would not be jeopardized by staff departures at the CoR. Bore was away in the UK when the committee's letter was received and Falcone replied to it himself - to the fury of his political master.

In a follow-up letter addressed to the committee chair, German MEP Diemut Theato, Bore writes: "I would like to point out that I have been extremely displeased with the initiative taken by the CoR secretary- general who answered a letter that was not addressed to him and without letting me know, which I consider to be an obvious lack of respect for the political authority. I have expressed my deepestdissatisfaction on this matter, which I consider to be serious."

The stinging language used by Bore will cause grave embarrassment to Falcone.

Furthermore, Bore has sent a similarly angry letter to Michiel van Hulten, the Dutch Socialist MEP who went public with claims of fraud at the CoR.

Bore said it was a matter of "considerable concern" that the serious allegations had been circulated to "other parties", adding: "I regret that we have not had the opportunity to discuss these matters directly without outside interference."

The Dutchman defended his right to make public the findings by the CoR's own internal auditor, Robert McCoy, which triggered his call for an inquiry.

Van Hulten also expressed concern about the tone of Bore's remarks about the CoR's secretary-general. "Bore gave Falcone what was described as un bon lavage de tête [a good dressing down]," said the MEP. "It seems incredible that the president of an EU institution does not control his own secretary-general. This gives a clear indication of the seriousness of the crisis the CoR is facing."

Van Hulten wants the CoR to set up a committee of independent experts, similar to that which was set up in 1999 to look into problems in the European Commission.

That probe caused Jacques Santer's team to resign en masse.

Sir Albert Bore, President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), has criticised Vincenzo Falcone, CoR's Secretary-General in a letter to the European Parliament's budgetary control committee regarding allegations of fraud within the CoR.