The case concerned how the European Commission handled an infringement complaint against the Netherlands, regarding Dutch legislation on light electric vehicles. The complainant was concerned that he had not had any update from the Commission in over two years.

While the inquiry was ongoing, the Commission closed the case. However, the Ombudsman found that the Commission failed to demonstrate that it had handled the case actively and diligently. In particular, the Commission failed to provide a convincing justification for the delay in dealing with a case which, considering the reasons given to close the case, should have been clear from the outset. The Ombudsman considered that this constituted maladministration. However, as the Commission has since then acknowledged and apologised for the delay when closing the case, and has in parallel committed to improving its communication with complainants, the Ombudsman considered that no purpose would be served by making a recommendation.