Essential Or Non-Essential?

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Did EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan breach European Commission rules on document security

It doesn’t rain but it pours.

Further to Golfgate….

…William Campbell, host of podcast Here’s How writes (full article at link below):

‘Phil Hogan’s spokesperson, in their defence of his shifting story of how he drove laps around Ireland, in and out of Covid hot-spot Kildare, said that the reason for him visiting his apartment in the K Club was that:

“He stopped briefly at his apartment to collect personal belongings and essential documents relating to the EU-US trade negotiations, which continued while the Commissioner was in Galway.”

…A European Commission spokesperson confirmed they have a detailed policy, Security Notice C(2019) 1904, for dealing with confidential documents, and that the documents in question were in the category “sensitive non-classified”.

The problem for Hogan is how could documents so trivial as not to be covered by Commission document security rules, still meet the ‘essential work’ standard in the lockdown rules.

…The EC spokesperson also confirmed that the commissioner’s home in Brussels got a security audit, but not his other residences, and said that, as per their policy, these documents must only be distributed on a need-to-know basis, that all recipients should be aware of the handling instructions, and the documents must be shredded to a particular standard when no longer needed.

And where possible, documents should be stored in a locked office or a locked cupboard when not in use.

Phil Hogan drove to Covid-stricken Kildare and picked up these sensitive documents, perhaps from a locked office or a locking document cupboard in his apartment, that’s not clear.

He then drove with them to the golf dinner in Galway. Then what? Maybe he left them in his car, but that certainly doesn’t meet the handling requirements.

Maybe he had a hotel room and he left them there. Or maybe he just kept them in his jacket pocket, or under the table in his briefcase as he downed the gargle.

These requirements are not suggestions. The Commission has confirmed that the document handling rules are binding and apply to all staff and commissioners.’ (continued below)

Phil Hogan May have Broken EC Document Security Rules (William Campbell, here’s How)

Earlier: Too Phil To Fail

Rollingnews

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6 thoughts on “Essential Or Non-Essential?

  1. hansel

    It’s great detail, and fair play for the person putting this together, but it’s not the details that are the issue.
    The issue is his cavalier and superior attitude towards laws, his fellow citizens and even his own health.

  2. george

    There is no issue over Phil Hogan having the documents he requires to do his job. He locked them in his apartment. He may also have locked them in a safe in the hotel. He did plenty of things wrong but this is a red herring.

  3. GiggidyGoo

    Just the type of person the Russian, US, British spies would target. A thicko. If Von der Leyen accepts this, then she’ll be quite a laughing stock herself.

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