Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-23-Speech-4-012"
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"en.20081023.4.4-012"2
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"Madam President, on behalf of the Commission and of my colleague, Vice-President Wallström, let me thank the rapporteur Mrs Zdravkova for her excellent work. We welcome the Committee on Petitions’ report about the Ombudsman’s annual report on his activities in 2007.
Each institution, including the European Commission, also has its own website, where complaints and petitions may be lodged. The Europa website is common to all EU institutions and has links to all other EU institutions, including the Ombudsman’s website. In this way, citizens are easily and smoothly directed to the bodies able to settle their grievances and complaints. The idea of an interactive manual designed to assist citizens in identifying the most suitable forum for resolving their problems is well worth studying much more closely.
Because in all this, we should never lose sight of who comes first and who we do all this for: the European citizens.
As you know, this Commission has made a strong commitment to improving its administration, and we are improving. We can see that, both from the Ombudsman’s Annual Report and from the Committee on Petitions report.
In 2007 the number of cases in which an institution or a body actually put an end to maladministration practices as a result of a complaint lodged with the Ombudsman doubled. This reflects the willingness of institutions – including, definitely, the Commission – and bodies to regard complaints as an opportunity to correct errors and cooperate with the Ombudsman in the public interest.
Also, the number of cases in which no maladministration practice was established increased. The Commission is happy about this, since we are the institution that receives most of these complaints.
I also want to underline the fact that the Ombudsman has been proposing an increasing number of friendly solutions in order to settle disputes and that, overall, the Commission has been cooperative and appreciative of this type of proposal, wherever possible. In 2007, only one special report concerning the Commission was submitted to Parliament by the Ombudsman, and the Ombudsman mentioned this.
But I would like to remind you that this special report concerns the Working Time Directive, and it was only last month that you had a discussion on that with my colleague Vladimir Špidla.
Let me conclude with three specific points which are touched upon in your report as well as the Ombudsman’s Annual Report. First, on infringements. As you are aware, the Commission has reorganised its decision-taking on infringements, with a view to facilitating the progress of cases. This was presented in the 2007 communication ‘A Europe of results – applying Community law’. We are following up cases more actively and organising the work more effectively for citizens. Also, an EU pilot project has been launched. More solutions to problems should be found more quickly.
Second, on the call for EU institutions and bodies to adopt a common approach towards a European code of good administrative behaviour. I want to draw your attention to the fact that the Commission has its own code of good administrative behaviour, adopted in 2000. This code still constitutes a modern and very effective instrument. Its implementation is well established. I do not want to prejudge the future, but for the time being we want to keep things that way.
Third, regarding the communication policy. The idea of launching an information campaign for European citizens to help them find out more about the duties and competences of the European Ombudsman is definitely welcomed by the Commission."@en1
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