“The Qatari government and organisations close to it paying for travel expenses for the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport’s most senior official gives rise to legitimate questions around possible undue influence of the EU’s decision-making in this area,” Ms O’Reilly wrote in a letter to commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
“The public may not draw this distinction, given that the director general ultimately takes the responsibility for these negotiations.” She noted that attempts by third parties to influence EU officials have come under “renewed scrutiny” in the wake of the Qatargate scandal, which has seen two MEPs charged with corruption and money laundering in an investigation into alleged bribery by Qatar.
On Monday, the European Commission acknowledged that accommodation had been provided to Mr Hololei for free in addition to his flights to Doha.