Brussels - The European Commission, saying that normal rules of confidentiality did not apply, pledged yesterday to co-operate fully with a committee appointed this week to investigate its handling of fraud allegations.
"What the Commission is going to do is authorise officials so they may transmit or communicate relevant information," said Commissioner Marcelino Oreja, who is in charge of institutional affairs for the European Union's Brussels-based executive.
"What we want here is maximum transparency," he said. The European Parliament on Wednesday announced the makeup of an independent committee of inquiry to probe charges of fraud, cronyism and mismanagement that brought the Commission close to being sacked earlier this month.