Dalli-gate: the resignation that marked the history of tobacco lobbying in Brussels
In 2012, while preparations were underway for the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), a scandal erupted. John Dalli, then European Commissioner for Health, was forced to resign. He was accused of having been aware of an attempted bribery scheme aimed at lifting the ban on snus in the European Union, and of doing nothing to prevent it, stop it, or even report it.
Three protagonists emerged in the case, all of whom met on February 10, 2012. In the room were John Dalli, Gayle Kimberley, a lawyer hired by snus manufacturer Swedish Match (acquired by PMI in 2022), and Silvio Zammit, a former member of Dalli’s campaign team who had arranged the meeting.
During the discussions, Zammit asked Swedish Match for €60 million, and later requested €10 million from the European Smokeless Tobacco Council (ESTOC, the European trade association representing manufacturers of “smokeless” tobacco products), implying that through his connections with Dalli, he could secure the lifting of the EU ban on snus. Dalli would later state that he was no longer in the room at that point.
Three months later, Swedish Match reported the incident to the European Commission. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) opened an investigation that lasted five months. Its findings stated that numerous indications suggested John Dalli had been aware of the attempted bribery and had done nothing to prevent it. Although no money was ever paid and Dalli’s direct involvement was not proven, the pressure became too great and he resigned.
New investigation, same suspicions: Brussels under pressure once again
Today, the affair is known as “Dalli-gate” and is cited whenever suspicions arise over excessively close ties between the European Commission and the tobacco industry. And on August 18, 2026, European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho opened an investigation into the way the Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE), which is part of the European Commission, handles its contacts with the tobacco industry.
The investigation follows a complaint filed by the French organization Contre-Feu, whose report Behind Closed Doors, published on December 15, 2025, documented numerous contacts between the tobacco industry and DG TRADE, DG CLIMA (Climate Action), and DG GROW (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) during 2023 and 2024, many of which were allegedly not publicly disclosed.
The media outlets The Examination and Politico also revealed, based on documents obtained by Contre-Feu, that Philip Morris International (PMI) allegedly sought the assistance of DG TRADE officials to weaken regulations or secure favorable taxation in ten countries outside the European Union. The tobacco company reportedly received such support in at least three cases, with Commission officials allegedly acting in line with PMI’s requests.
These revelations prompted the European Parliament to include a “serious concern” about these matters in its budget discharge report and to call on the Commission to investigate. With the opening of case 1036/2026/AML by the European Ombudsman, that investigation is now underway.
