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European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, has resigned after a fraud inquiry linked him to an attempt to influence legislation on tobacco. The EU’s anti-fraud office, OLAF, found a Maltese businessman had approached a Swedish tobacco producer, using his contact with the Commissioner, himself Maltese, and sought to gain financial advantage in exchange for influence on a possible legislative proposal on snus. Snus is a tobacco product banned in the EU but only allowed in Sweden through an exemption.
John Dalli steps down over fraud investigation – The Times of Malta
The French National Commission on Computing and Freedom (CNIL), working on behalf of the EU's 27 national data regulators, says it has found legal flaws with a new approach to user data that Google adopted in March. The U.S. group alledgedly combines anonymous data from users' browsing histories across its services to better target advertising. The Internet giant now has "three or four months" to bring its privacy policy into line or face financial penalties.
Europe hands Google an ultimatum – La Tribune
On the eve of the European Council on 18/19 October, German finance minister has controversially proposed the appointment of a European commissioner for economic and currency affairs with powers to intervene in the budgets of Member States. The German financial daily points out an amendment to EU treaties would be needed.
Schäuble seek euro-offensive – Financial Times Deutschland
More than 80 people have been arrested as part of "Operation Emperor", a police inquiry into the Chinese mafia which laundered money by funding Spanish businesses. The network was headed by Chinese tycoon Gao Ping, who controls Cobo Calleja, an industrial zone near Madrid and one of the most important distribution points for Chinese goods in Europe. The network would have laundered between 200 and 300 million euros per year.
Blow to impunity of Chinese mafias – ABC
Seven paintings by artists including Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet were stolen from Rotterdam's Kunsthal museum in an early-hour heist yesterday. The paintings are part of the private Triton Foundation collection, valued at between 50 and 100 million euros in total but are almost impossible to sell, points out the Amsterdam daily, unless the thieves were commissioned. Experts, however, point out that this could be a case of "artnapping" in which a ransom will be demanded.
Commission or a stupid act? – De Volkskrant
Fathers should be more involved in childcare and entitled to longer paternity leaves, suggests Gazeta Wyborcza. The Warsaw daily supports PM Donald Tusk's plan to extend maternity leave from 6 to 12 months, as announced in his second key policy speech (known as “the second exposé”) since being re-elected in 2011.
How to give birth, Mr Prime Minister? – Gazeta Wyborcza
After a marathon negotiation, members of the Greek ruling coalition have complied with the EU-ECB-IMF troika's demands on a budget with €13.5 billion in savings. Greece's next tranche of €31.5 billion in aid hangs on the implementation of this budget, and is be ratified at the next meeting of the Eurogroup.
Nocturnal agreement with troika – To Ethnos
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