EU trade commissioner resigns over COVID-19 breach

Phil Hogan submitted on Wednesday night his resignation as the European Union's (EU) Commissioner for Trade over his controversial attendance at a golf club event and possible violation of COVID-19 containment rules during his recent trip to Ireland, reported Xinhua.

"I deeply regret that my trip to Ireland - the country that I have been so proud to represent as a public servant for most of my adult life - caused such concern, unease and upset," the Irish politician said in a statement published on the official website of the European Commission.

Hogan argued that he tried to comply with COVID-19 regulations in Ireland and thought he had met with all public health guidelines.

"It was becoming increasingly clear that the controversy concerning my recent visit to Ireland was becoming a distraction from my work as an EU Commissioner and would undermine my work in the key months ahead," he said in the statement after tendering the resignation to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.