A request by the European Parliament for MEPs to have access to the still-undisclosed OLAF report that led to the exit of John Dalli from the European Commission is currently under discussion by the institutions’ legal counsels.

The development comes following talks between European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Parliament President Martin Schulz on the contentious matter.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Martin Bugelli, the Head of the European Commission’s Representation to Malta, explains, “Following contacts between Presidents Barroso and Schulz, there is a joint resolve to address the matter in the full respect of all legal rules applicable.

“The matter is presently under joint consideration by the legal counsels of the two institutions.  Regarding OLAF acting as an independent investigative authority, some special rules apply "

Mr Bugelli was speaking in reference to an article carried in yesterday’s issue of The Malta Independent on Sunday, which erroneously quoted a Barroso spokesperson, instead of a Schultz spokesperson, as saying that the EC President “has agreed to present a report” on the matter to EP president Martin Schulz on his return from the EU-Latin America summit, which ended on Sunday.

Mr Bugelli adds, “The President of the Commission has always co-operated with the European Parliament on all matters within the Commission's competence.

“Moreover, President Barroso has already addressed all the politically relevant issues in the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament.”