European Ombudsman

European Ombudsman Bridge between citizens and the EU

administration

European Ombudsman

Complaints from citizens, companies, NGOs, business associations….

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European Ombudsman

Most cases: About alleged lack of transparency in the EU administration

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European Ombudsman

Alleged lack of transparency

20-30% of all cases

Refusal to give access

to EU documents

EU decision-making

Lobbying transparency

“Revolving doors”

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European Ombudsman

Other examples of individual complaints

Problems with EU

funded projects and

programmes

Language policy for

EU websites or public

consultations

How is EU money

spent (e.g. Cohesion

Fund)?

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European Ombudsman

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Inquiries conducted by EU institution

European Ombudsman

…and strategic inquiries

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European Ombudsman

Strategic inquiries

In the public interest

Systemic problems in the EU administration

Own-initiative inquiries

Achieve “gold standards”

Public consultations

Cooperation with the European Network of

Ombudsmen

Use limited resources in the best way

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European Ombudsman

Transparency of TTIP negotiations

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European Ombudsman

TTIP transparency

TTIP will affect lives of

500 million in EU

EU Commission now

publishes more position

papers, fact sheets, legal

texts

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EO: No US veto against

disclosure of consolidated

TTIP chapters

Extend transparency

obligations for meetings

with lobbyists (down to

negotiator level)

European Ombudsman

Transparency in the ECB

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European Ombudsman

ECB transparency

May 2015: ECB governing board member

released information at private dinner in London

EO asked for clarifications

ECB reviewed its transparency policy

New rules for speaking engagements

Publication of calendars of governing board

members

Extension of “quiet period” in week running up

to monetary policy meetings

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European Ombudsman

Complaint about EU Commission not complying with UN tobacco lobbying rules

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European Ombudsman

EO recommendations in tobacco lobbying case

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Policy-making in public health has to be as transparent as

possible, especially when it comes to tobacco control

Obligations under WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco

Control (FCTC)

Tobacco lobbyists – very sophisticated “under the radar”

methods

Commission should pro-actively publish ALL meetings with

tobacco lobbyists and minutes of meetings

Lawyers representing the tobacco industry are also lobbyists

Commission did not follow the recommendations - missed

opportunity to show global leadership in the vital area of

tobacco lobbying

European Ombudsman

Parallel investigations – Frontex/forced returns

Joint Return Operations

19 Ombudsman offices

conducted inquiries

How are human rights

obligations upheld?

Call for Frontex’

complaints mechanism

Commission proposed

European Border and

Coastguard (including

complaints mechanism)

European Ombudsman

Inquiry into trilogue transparencyHow the deals are done

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European Ombudsman

Inquiry against Council, Commission, EP

Around 80% of EU laws are now agreed at first

reading

Mapping exercise about trilogue transparency

EO asked for information about disclosure policy

(minutes, list of meetings, documents)

Opinions received

Closed files inspected: Clinical Trials Regulation &

Mortgage Credit Directive

Public consultation open until 31 March ‘16

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European Ombudsman

Eurogroup transparency

June 2015: Complaint about lack

of transparency of Eurogroup

meetings

February 2016: Eurogroup President

Dijsselbloem tabled proactive

transparency measures, including

publishing:

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• Detailed meeting agendas

• Eurogroup summing-up letter

• Programme-country related documents

(ahead of decisions) and notes

presented to Eurogroup (after meetings)

European Ombudsman

Ombudsman follow-up letter

EO welcomes proactive transparency measures

How will Eurogroup deal with requests for documents not

published proactively?

What about proactive transparency measures for

preparatory bodies e.g. Eurogroup Working Group?

How to get an overview of Eurogroup documentation?

Reply expected by 30 June

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European Ombudsman

www.ombudsman.europa.eu

@EUOmbudsman