An EU body bringing together employers, workers and civil organizations on Tuesday adopted strict sanctions against a senior official who stands accused of psychological harassment and severe misconduct.
Members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) leadership bureau formally requested that Jacek Krawczyk resign from his position as president of the institution’s employers’ group and to withdraw his application to become the EESC’s next overarching president. Krawczyk had been the leading candidate to take over the EESC in October.
While Krawczyk will remain a regular member of the EESC, the institution voted to discharge him “from all activities involving the management or administration of staff,” according to a document, seen by POLITICO, which lists the adopted sanctions.
The unprecedented decision, adopted by a large majority, follows longstanding bullying allegations against the Polish official, first reported by POLITICO, which were investigated by the EU’s anti-fraud office OLAF.
A confidential OLAF report from earlier this year listed 13 cases of alleged misbehavior by Krawczyk, of which two described alleged psychological harassment of subordinates, according to five MEPs with knowledge of the report. OLAF has sent these two cases to Belgian prosecutors for potential juridical proceedings, the lawmakers said. Krawczyk in February denied the allegations via his lawyers.
The disciplinary measures adopted on Tuesday were recommended by an internal advisory committee, which the EESC set up following the OLAF probe.
The EESC is also considering legal steps against Krawczyk. The document said the institution is tasking its secretary-general to take “the necessary steps to ensure that, should proceedings be initiated by the [Belgian] prosecutor against Mr. Krawczyk, the EESC shall join those proceedings as a civil party.”
EESC spokesperson Daniela Vincenti confirmed that the EESC bureau “validated the conclusions of its advisory committee on the conduct of members as well as the conclusions of a report from the EU Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) concerning a member of the EESC.”
“The bureau condemned the member’s conduct and adopted administrative support measures to redress the situation of the victims and avoid any recurrence of such facts,” she said, adding: “The decision will be brought to the attention of OLAF and the European Parliament, which had requested it in the context of the discharge.”
The EESC is a consultative body, whose three groups, comprised of representatives of employers, workers and civil organizations, give nonbinding advice on new EU legislation.
The bullying affair hit the institution at a sensitive moment as it hopes to win more influence through its involvement in the planned Conference on the Future of Europe, which is supposed to debate potential EU reforms.
Current EESC President Luca Jahier warned in February that the affair is weakening “our institutional impact [and] harming the long-term image, reputation and role of the EESC.”