Strasbourg, 5 July 2013

 

Dear Ms H,

On 6 September 2012, you submitted a complaint to the European Ombudsman concerning the implementation of the Less Favoured Areas Compensatory Allowance Scheme (the 'LFA Scheme') in Ireland.

On 1 October 2012, I opened an inquiry into (a) your allegation that, by approving a retrospective change to Ireland's rural development programme concerning the conditions for eligibility to the LFA Scheme, the Commission infringed the principles of legitimate expectations and legal certainty, and (b) your claim that the Commission should review its decision approving a retrospective change to Ireland's rural development programme concerning the conditions for eligibility to the LFA Scheme.

I note that I opened my inquiry on the understanding that there was no petition being dealt with by the Committee on Petitions with a subject-matter identical to the present complaint.

On 17 January 2013, the Commission sent its opinion on the complaint which was forwarded to you for your observations. On 27 February 2013, I received your observations on the Commission's opinion.

In the course of my inquiry, however, it turned out that, in the end of March 2013, the Committee on Petitions considered a petition with an identical subject-matter (Petition 1064/2012).

I have consistently taken the view that there are no grounds for me to inquire into a complaint on which a petition has been submitted to, and examined by, the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament.

Given that the Committee on Petitions has already considered a petition with an identical subject-matter and in line with standard practice, I consider that there are no grounds for further inquiries into the above complaint. I have therefore closed the case.

Yours sincerely,

 

P. Nikiforos Diamandouros