(JiMao first month's Eve), March 16, 1999, the European Commission members to resign collectively. In March 1999, 15 night, former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Santer as Chairman of the current 20 members of the European Commission, announced collective resignation after three hours of discussion at midnight, Santer said it was " political action. " This is the collective resignation of the European Commission for the first time since the entry into force of the Treaty of Rome in January 1958.

the direct cause of the collective resignation of the report of the committee of independent experts on the afternoon of the 15th, the European Commission fraud, favoritism and financial mismanagement. Harsh terms of up to 146 of the report, serious allegations Commission fraud, nepotism, management confusion. The report said, varying degrees of 10 of the 20 members involved in the scandal, the most severe cases: members responsible for science and technology affairs, former French Prime Minister Cresson Mrs. her favoritism in professional training programs in Europe; Spaniards Marin, the implementation of the EU Mediterranean country assistance program fraud; There are responsible for Eastern European Affairs of the Dutch Vandenbroucke, responsible for humanitarian assistance to the Italian Boni Nuo, even Santer also doomed. January 14, 1999, the European Parliament, the European Commission's no-confidence motion was rejected, that the decision to set up consists of five members, the committee of independent experts. The European Parliament was instructed it to submit a report on March 15, 23 consideration. The harsh report on the attitude of the European Commission, the European Parliament caucus on the evening of 15 made it clear that to impeach the meaning of the European Commission, the Commission had to take the initiative to abdicate. Report of six cases, four cases occurred in 1995, before the establishment of the current Committee. Santer has the collective resignation of the decision in the morning of March 16, 1999, informed the Council of the European Union.