John Dalli, Health and Consumer Policy
(Malta, Christian Democrat)

Background

John Dalli has a long history in the Maltese government including serving as the Minister for Industry, Economy, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion. More recently, he was in charge of Maltese social policy.  Before entering politics, Commissioner Dalli was a trained accountant and has worked as a management consultant in the private sector..

 

 

Stated objectives on taking office

• To complete the food chain strategy;
• To push for better regulation in the internal market on agricultural products;
• To expand information available to consumers so that they can make more informed decisions;
• To ensure that consumer rights are not compromised in online transactions.

Members of the Cabinet

Joanna DARMANIN, Head of Cabinet
Nils BEHRNDT, Deputy Head of Cabinet, Pharmaceuticals,
Rossella DELFINO, Member, Consumer and legal affairs
Edward DEMICOLI, Member, Inter-institutional relations, food and veterinary office
Harry VASSALLO,  Member, Animal health and welfare
Paula DUARTE GASPAR, Member, Public health and risk assessment
Harald KANDOLF, Member, Safety of the food chain

Frederic VINCENT, Spokesperson

 

Main actions to date

• Authorizing  the use of the ‘amflora’ potato, a genetically modified organism. The environmental NGO Greenpeace responded with a media campaign in which it depicted Commissioner Dalli as the “chef” of EU genetically modified organisms (GMO);
• Launched an EU-wide database for medical devices with the aim to boost market surveillance of the sector.

What to expect

The amflora GMO potato has attracted a lot of attention, and the issue will not die down soon.  How this GMO ‘hot potato’ is dealt with in the future and the interventions of other Commissioners as well as MEPs, NGOs and Member States who are traditionally GMO-wary, will definitely be high on the agenda.  The Commissioner has also recently announced his intention to visit China to discuss with the government issues of counterfeiting and, less controversially, the safety of toys.  The DG was recently reorganised with oversight of pharmaceutical policy being transferred from Directorate General of Enterprise and Industry. This means additional responsibility for the Commissioner, and many key players will be looking closely to ensure that this reorganization results in improved policies.