The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, invites you to the annual European Network of Ombudsmen conference to examine this year the fallout for citizen rights from Brexit and from increased ‘populism’ in Europe.

Starting on the first day of the Brexit negotiations and with a keynote address by European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans - responsible for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights - the discussion will focus on the role Ombudsmen and other key institutional actors can play to defend and protect citizen rights

This annual event brings together over 90 national and regional ombudsmen from all over Europe, as well as MEPs, EU officials, organisations and other interested participants. The European Ombudsman chairs the European Network of Ombudsmen and coordinates cooperation among colleagues across Europe.

Agenda

Concert Noble, Rue d’Arlon 84, 1000 Brussels

12.00-13.00  Registration and lunch

13.00-13.15  Opening of conference

• Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman
• Vladimír Maňka, MEP & Member of European Parliament Bureau

13.15-14.45  Addressing 'populism' in the EU

• Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman
• Sanjay Pradhan, CEO, Open Government Partnership
• Jacques Toubon, French Ombudsman
• Adam Bodnar, Polish Ombudsman
• Gero Storjohann, Deputy Chairman, German Petitions Committee
• Bart Somers, Mayor of Mechelen, BE & ‘World Mayor’ winner

14.45-15.15  Coffee Break

15.15-16.45  Brexit: maximising transparency & certainty for EU citizens

• Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman
• Cecilia Wikström, Chair of Parliament’s Committee on Petitions
• Rosemary Agnew, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
• Jesús Maeztu Gregorio de Tejada, Ombudsman of Andalucia
• Assya Kavrakova, Executive Director, European Citizen Action Service

16.45 Concluding keynote speech, followed by Q&A

• Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission

Moderator:

• Shada Islam  

Join the Twitter debate at: #ENO2017

Live streaming

The event will be webstreamed at: www.ombudsman.europa.eu