Αναζήτηση ερευνών

The complainant, a non-profit association, is a partner in an EU-funded project under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, which is managed by the Research Executive Agency (REA). It had an outstanding debt to the European Commission, which it was paying back in instalments. The Commission decided to offset the ’pre-financing’ payment, which should have been made to the complainant at the start of the project, against the complainant’s outstanding debt with the Commission. The complainant agreed to continue its tasks under the project, but turned to the Ombudsman to seek an alternative solution.

The Ombudsman found that the Commission was legally obliged to offset the pre-financing payment, and that it informed the complainant and the project coordinator about this in good time. The complainant had willingly chosen to participate in the project under these terms. The Ombudsman therefore closed the case with a finding of no maladministration. However, she made a suggestion for improvement to the Commission and the REA on the need to improve communication with project partners in future cases.

Η αναφορά αφορούσε την άρνηση της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής να αναστείλει έρευνα αντιντάμπινγκ που αφορούσε τις εισαγωγές κινεζικών προϊόντων αλουμινίου ή, εναλλακτικά, να δώσει σε Ιταλό εισαγωγέα περισσότερο χρόνο για να απαντήσει στα αιτήματα παροχής πληροφοριών που του απηύθυνε η Επιτροπή.

Η Διαμεσολαβήτρια επισήμανε ότι η Επιτροπή είχε ήδη παρατείνει τις προθεσμίες προκειμένου να ληφθούν υπόψη οι δυσκολίες που προέκυψαν λόγω της κρίσης COVID-19. Η περαιτέρω παράταση των προθεσμιών θα μπορούσε, ενδεχομένως, να υπονομεύσει την ικανότητα της Επιτροπής να εκπληρώσει τις υποχρεώσεις της σχετικά με την ολοκλήρωση της έρευνας αντιντάμπινγκ εντός των νόμιμων προθεσμιών που τη δεσμεύουν. Ως εκ τούτου, η Διαμεσολαβήτρια διαπίστωσε ότι η Επιτροπή ενήργησε εύλογα και περάτωσε την υπόθεση διαπιστώνοντας ότι δεν υφίσταται κακοδιοίκηση.

The complainant, a young Italian entrepreneur, participated in an exchange with a more experienced entrepreneur in Germany in the context of the ‘Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme’ set up by the EU Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). The exchange was terminated early. The complainant considered that EASME had failed to monitor the exchange and he wished to be compensated financially. EASME allowed the complainant another exchange for the remaining period, but it did not grant him any financial compensation.

The Ombudsman found that EASME had investigated the case diligently and that its decision not to pay compensation was in accordance with the rules governing the programmes. The Ombudsman therefore closed the inquiry with a finding of no maladministration. The Ombudsman made a suggestion for improvement to EASME for the purpose of ensuring that the entrepreneurs involved are duly informed of the intention to terminate an exchange early.