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Comhlíonadh rialacha an Choimisiúin ar choinbhleacht leasa roimh Chomhairleoir Speisialta a cheapadh d’Uachtarán an Choimisiúin

Decision
Case 1408/2015/OV - Opened on Tuesday | 15 September 2015 - Decision on Thursday | 26 May 2016 - Institution concerned European Commission ( Critical remark )

The issue in this complaint is the alleged failure of the European Commission, in appointing a Special Adviser, to abide by its own rules on preventing conflicts of interest.

In September 2015, two NGOs complained to the Ombudsman that the Commission had failed to comply with its Rules when it appointed a Special Adviser to assist the Commission President. The Commission issued a press release on 18 December 2014 announcing the appointment of Mr Edmund Stoiber as a Special Adviser to the Commission President. This announcement was made three months before Mr Stoiber was officially appointed on 4 March 2015, without any disclaimer about the pending administrative requirements still to be fulfilled. The complainants argued that this premature announcement compromised the Commission's capacity to conduct an unbiased and critical assessment of whether the person in question had any conflicts of interest. They complained also that the Commission's "statement of assurance", an essential part of the appointment process, failed to mention the positions the Special Adviser held with Nürnberger, a large insurance group.  

The Ombudsman inquired into the issue and found that the Commission's press release was incorrect and misleading. The Ombudsman also found that the premature announcement of the appointment, without any disclaimer, raised legitimate doubts for the interested public as to whether an unbiased and critical examination of the conflict of interest question had been carried out following the announcement. The Ombudsman found maladministration by the Commission on both counts. The Ombudsman also found that the Commission had failed to explain why the positions of the appointed Special Adviser in the insurance group were omitted from the "statement of assurance". She found that this also amounted to maladministration.

Baineann an gearán seo le teip líomhnaithe an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh, nuair a cheap sé Comhairleoir Speisialta, a rialacha féin a chomhlíonadh maidir le coinbhleachtaí leasa a chosc.

I Meán Fómhair 2015, rinne dhá ENR gearáin chuig an Ombudsman gur theip ar an gCoimisiún a Rialacha féin a chomhlíonadh nuair a cheap sé comhairleoir Speisialta chun cabhrú le hUachtarán an Choimisiúin.  D'eisigh an Coimisiún preaseisiúint ar 18 Nollaig 2014 ina bhfógraíodh ceapachán an Uas. Edmund Stoiber mar Chomhairleoir Speisialta le hUachtarán an Choimisiúin. Rinneadh an fógra trí mhí sular ceapadh an tUas. Stoiber go hoifigiúil ar 4 Márta 2015, gan aon séanadh i ndáil leis na riachtanais riaracháin ar feitheamh a bhí le comhlíonadh fós. D'argóint na gearánaigh gur chomhghéill an fógra roimh am seo cumas an Choimisiúin measúnú neamhlaofa agus criticiúil a dhéanamh i ndáil le haon choinbhleachtaí leasa a bheadh ag an duine i gceist. Rinne siad gearán freisin gur theip ar "ráiteas dearbhaithe" an Choimisiúin, arb é cuid ríthábhachtach den phróiseas ceapacháin, na poist a bhí ag an gComhairleoir Speisialta le Nürnberger, arb é grúpa mór árachais, a lua.

Rinne an tOmbudsman fiosrúchán sa cheist agus fuair go raibh preaseisiúint an Choimisiúin mícheart agus míthreorach. Fuair an tOmbudsman freisin gur ardaigh fógra an cheapacháin roimh am, gan aon séanadh, amhrais dhlisteanacha maidir le leas an phobail ar cé acu an ndearnadh imscrúdú neamhlaofa agus criticiúil ar cheist na coinbhleachta leasa tar éis an fhógra, nó nach ndearnadh. Fuair an tOmbudsman gur chleachtaigh an Coimisiún míriarachán sa dá cheist seo. Fuair an tOmbudsman freisin gur theip ar an gCoimisiún míniú a thabhairt ar cén fáth nár cuireadh na poist a bhí ag an gComhairleoir Speisialta a ceapadh sa ghrúpa árachais san áireamh sa "ráiteas dearbhaithe". Fuair sí go raibh míriarachán i gceist leis seo freisin.