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European Ombudsman

EUROPEAN UNION

EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN PRESENTS REPORTS TO THE COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Special Reports

The European Ombudsman, Mr. Jacob Söderman, presented two special reports to the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions on February 20 - one was on refusal of access to documents by the Council of the European Union, the other on sex discrimination in the European Commission. The Ombudsman underlined that he launched the reports because important principles for the citizen were at stake - namely transparency (in the first case) and the prohibition of discrimination (in the second).

The Vice President of the Committee - Roy Perry (UK MEP) - called on his colleagues in the Committee to take the necessary steps for the Parliament to adopt a resolution on each of the special reports supporting the Ombudsman's recommendations. The Committee on Petitions will now proceed with drafting the relevant reports.

Annual Report 2001

The European Ombudsman will present his Annual Report 2001 to the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on April 9, 2002. In his report, the Ombudsman emphasises the importance of the adoption of the European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour by the European Parliament in September 2001. This follows an own initiative inquiry of the Ombudsman into the existence of such a code.
Mr. Söderman also outlines the work he carried out in 2001 on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to ensure that the rights proclaimed there become a reality for EU citizens. A number of inquiries opened by the Ombudsman in 2001 were based on the rights laid down in the Charter, namely the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of age, sex and ethnic origin, freedom of expression and parental leave.

Concerning complaints handling, the Ombudsman stresses in his report that performance has improved considerably over the last year. The average length of time taken to complete an inquiry was 289 days for inquiries closed in 2001, compared to 316 days for cases closed in 2000.

EVENTS

The next meeting of the European and national ombudsmen and similar bodies will take place in Athens, Greece on April 7-9, 2003. The office of the Greek national Ombudsman, Mr Diamandouros, will organise the seminar.

The regional ombudsmen and similar bodies in the EU will also meet in the Spring of 2003. The date and place of the meeting are still to be fixed. Mr. Ulrich Galle, the Ombudsman of Rhineland-Pfalz, is currently exploring the possibility of organising it in Mainz.

Another meeting to promote the knowledge of Community law among the ombudsmen and similar bodies in the applicant states for EU membership is due to take place in Poland during the first half of 2003. It will be organised by the Polish Ombudsman, Professor Andrzej Zoll .

PUBLICATIONS

The collection of speeches from the meeting of European, national and regional ombudsmen and similar bodies, held in Brussels in September 2001, will be published shortly by the European Ombudsman. Entitled "The Ombudsmen against Discrimination", the book will be distributed to speakers and participants at the seminar.

The European Ombudsman recently published the "European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour" as a booklet in eleven languages. The booklet is available from the Ombudsman's office:

The European Ombudsman
1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman,
BP 403 67001 Strasbourg Cedex
France

euro-ombudsman(at)europarl.eu.int

Recent additions to the European Ombudsman's website include: A bibliography section covering a list of theses, books and articles on the European Ombudsman: http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/bibliog/en/default.htm

Press releases:
Ombudsman criticises Commission's passive attitude towards possible racism in recruitment
European Ombudsman will continue to monitor Commission on freedom of expression
http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/release/en/default.htm

EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN RECEIVES KNIGHTHOOD IN FRANCE

The European Ombudsman has been nominated to the rank of knight in the Legion of Honour of the French Republic. The Legion of Honour is the most prestigious civil or military award in France. Mr. Söderman was proposed for the knighthood by the Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Pierre Moscovici and the nomination was announced by French President Jacque Chirac on December 31, 2001.

European Ombudsman

EUROPEAN UNION

EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN PRESENTS REPORTS TO THE COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Special Reports

The European Ombudsman, Mr. Jacob Söderman, presented two special reports to the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions on February 20 - one was on refusal of access to documents by the Council of the European Union, the other on sex discrimination in the European Commission. The Ombudsman underlined that he launched the reports because important principles for the citizen were at stake - namely transparency (in the first case) and the prohibition of discrimination (in the second).

The Vice President of the Committee - Roy Perry (UK MEP) - called on his colleagues in the Committee to take the necessary steps for the Parliament to adopt a resolution on each of the special reports supporting the Ombudsman's recommendations. The Committee on Petitions will now proceed with drafting the relevant reports.

Annual Report 2001

The European Ombudsman will present his Annual Report 2001 to the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on April 9, 2002. In his report, the Ombudsman emphasises the importance of the adoption of the European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour by the European Parliament in September 2001. This follows an own initiative inquiry of the Ombudsman into the existence of such a code.
Mr. Söderman also outlines the work he carried out in 2001 on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to ensure that the rights proclaimed there become a reality for EU citizens. A number of inquiries opened by the Ombudsman in 2001 were based on the rights laid down in the Charter, namely the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of age, sex and ethnic origin, freedom of expression and parental leave.

Concerning complaints handling, the Ombudsman stresses in his report that performance has improved considerably over the last year. The average length of time taken to complete an inquiry was 289 days for inquiries closed in 2001, compared to 316 days for cases closed in 2000.

EVENTS

The next meeting of the European and national ombudsmen and similar bodies will take place in Athens, Greece on April 7-9, 2003. The office of the Greek national Ombudsman, Mr Diamandouros, will organise the seminar.

The regional ombudsmen and similar bodies in the EU will also meet in the Spring of 2003. The date and place of the meeting are still to be fixed. Mr. Ulrich Galle, the Ombudsman of Rhineland-Pfalz, is currently exploring the possibility of organising it in Mainz.

Another meeting to promote the knowledge of Community law among the ombudsmen and similar bodies in the applicant states for EU membership is due to take place in Poland during the first half of 2003. It will be organised by the Polish Ombudsman, Professor Andrzej Zoll .

PUBLICATIONS

The collection of speeches from the meeting of European, national and regional ombudsmen and similar bodies, held in Brussels in September 2001, will be published shortly by the European Ombudsman. Entitled "The Ombudsmen against Discrimination", the book will be distributed to speakers and participants at the seminar.

The European Ombudsman recently published the "European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour" as a booklet in eleven languages. The booklet is available from the Ombudsman's office:

The European Ombudsman
1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman,
BP 403 67001 Strasbourg Cedex
France

euro-ombudsman(at)europarl.eu.int

Recent additions to the European Ombudsman's website include: A bibliography section covering a list of theses, books and articles on the European Ombudsman: http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/bibliog/en/default.htm

Press releases:
Ombudsman criticises Commission's passive attitude towards possible racism in recruitment
European Ombudsman will continue to monitor Commission on freedom of expression
http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/release/en/default.htm

EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN RECEIVES KNIGHTHOOD IN FRANCE

The European Ombudsman has been nominated to the rank of knight in the Legion of Honour of the French Republic. The Legion of Honour is the most prestigious civil or military award in France. Mr. Söderman was proposed for the knighthood by the Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Pierre Moscovici and the nomination was announced by French President Jacque Chirac on December 31, 2001.