Mulder attacks court over Cresson pension

A senior Dutch MEP has attacked the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) not to deprive Edith Cresson of part of her pension for misconduct as a European commissioner.

Dutch Liberal Jan Mulder said it was "incomprehensible" that the court had not recommended any "penal consequences" or impact on her pension rights. While the Commission and Parliament would accept the court's verdict, he said it was "important to send the right message that such practices carry penalties" and would no longer be tolerated.

On 11 July, the court found that Cresson, who served as commissioner for science, research and development in 1995-99, had failed to live up to her obligation to "observe the highest standards of conduct" as she had violated Commission rules by hiring her dentist as a personal adviser.

But the court found that she should not be deprived of any part of her monthly €3,600 pension as being found guilty of breaching her obligations was an "appropriate penalty".

A spokesman for the Commission, which referred the case to the court after a similar case was dismissed by a Belgian court, said that the decision "closed the affair" which had harmed the Commission's image.

In 1999 the Commission of President Jacques Santer resigned after a report of independent experts set up to investigate the affair condemned it for a lack of political responsibility.

Many commissioners at the time felt Cresson should have resigned to take responsibility for the crisis but the French government objected to the idea of the French former prime minister taking the blame alone.

A senior Dutch MEP has attacked the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) not to deprive Edith Cresson of part of her pension for misconduct as a European commissioner.