Decision in case 531/2016/OV concerning an alleged failure to reply by the European Economic and Social Committee

On 22 March 2016, you complained to the European Ombudsman that the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) had failed to reply to your letter of 15 January 2015 in which you asked the EESC for advice on compliance with EU law of the amount of social allowances you receive from the Joniškis District Municipality in Lithuania.

Following the Ombudsman’s instructions, I contacted the relevant service of the EESC concerning your complaint. In response, the EESC informed me that it had already replied to you on 27 March 2015. In its reply, the EESC explained that it has no competence to deal with individual requests like yours, and advised you to contact Europe Direct.

I subsequently invited you to submit observations on that reply. However, I did not receive any observations from you. The Ombudsman therefore considers that you are satisfied with the reply you received, and that the EESC has taken steps to settle the matter. The Ombudsman has therefore closed the case.

Lambros Papadias

Head of Inquiries - Unit 3

Strasbourg, 28/09/2016