The European Ombudsman wrote to the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council to make some proposals for how to maintain high transparency standards during the COVID-19 emergency.

Among other things, the Ombudsman said that all decisions related to the pandemic - including those taken under accelerated or emergency procedures - need to be taken as transparently as possible, while temporary measures should be publicised, explained, and regularly reviewed. The measures proposed aim to help maintain public trust and will form part of any post-COVID-19 assessment of how the EU administration handled the crisis.

The Ombudsman has received a reply from European Council President Charles Michel and from European Commission President von der Leyen.