EU announces top lawyer’s departure on same day as ‘Pfizergate’ ruling

BRUSSELS — The European Commission announced its most senior legal adviser will leave his role — hours after President Ursula von der Leyen was handed a bruising verdict in a court battle over private messages.

“The European Commission has decided to transfer, in the interest of the service, Daniel Calleja y Crespo, to the function of Head of the European Commission Representation in Spain,” an official statement issued on Wednesday said.

The decision to send the top lawyer to Madrid immediately raised eyebrows, coming the same day as the EU General Court ruled the Commission had breached transparency standards by refusing to release messages between von der Leyen and the CEO of vaccine-maker Pfizer apparently sent at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to his job description, Calleja y Crespo oversees all proposals with legal implications and “sits in at all Commission meetings in his capacity as legal adviser to the Commission … The Commission generally follows his legal advice.”

Speaking to POLITICO, three EU officials insisted the move was unrelated to the “Pfizergate” scandal, and that the Spaniard was simply being reassigned after nearly four decades of roles in Brussels.

“It looks like a reward, not a punishment,” said one, granted anonymity to speak frankly about internal decision-making.

“Daniel Calleja y Crespo is highly appreciated for his service in Brussels and in the Commission,” said Paula Pinho, the Commission’s top spokesperson. “It’s a fitting tribute for him to end his career as ambassador to his home country.”

Von der Leyen has faced criticism from MEPs and transparency campaigners after the court said the Commission had “failed to explain in a plausible manner why it considered that the text messages exchanged in the context of the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines did not contain important information … the retention of which must be ensured.”

In a statement, the bloc’s executive arm insisted that “transparency has always been of paramount importance for the Commission and President von der Leyen,” and vowed to abide by its legal obligations. Officials will now “decide on next steps,” it added.