Mr. President of the Court of Justice, honourable Members of the Court of Justice, Mr. Vice-President of the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament, Mr. Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, fellow ombudsmen of the Member States of the European Union, chairpersons of the national committees on petitions, ladies and gentlemen!

It is an honour for me to address such a distinguished audience on this solemn occasion.

It is symbolically significant that the responsibility for the stewardship of this important institution is being passed from a native of one of the oldest democracies to someone coming from one of the youngest; from the north of Europe and the birthplace of the institution of ombudsman to the south, where the institution has been established more recently.

Mr. President, it is a great honour to have been elected to this position. But this is an honour that brings with it many, and heavy, responsibilities. Allow me to highlight three of these.

Firstly, the second European Ombudsman must try to live up to the expectations generated by the achievements of the first European Ombudsman, Jacob Söderman and to carry on his legacy. As National Ombudsman in Greece, I was inspired by his work and greatly benefited from his advice and support.

Secondly, it is incumbent upon me to lead the institution of the European Ombudsman forward during an historic moment in the long process shaping the identity of modern Europe. The decision at the Copenhagen summit in December 2002 to launch the most ambitious enlargement in the history of the EU constitutes a further step in the reunification of Europe and, in yet another way, marks the end of the Cold War. For the European Ombudsman, the challenge associated with this moment of transition is dual: to continue to promote the rule of law throughout the Union, while at the same time meaningfully addressing the legitimate concerns of the accession countries in the area of human rights.

Finally, I see my greatest responsibility to be that of reaching out to citizens in order to educate them about their rights and, even more importantly, about how to exercise their rights.

In pursuit of these goals, I will benefit greatly from three important sources of support: first and foremost from the case law of this august Court which constitutes the source of inspiration and guidance concerning the evolution of the rule of law in the European Union; second, the collaboration of the European Parliament, its Committee on Petitions, my colleagues at the national level and the Committees on Petitions in the Member States where these exist; and last but certainly not least the support of a dedicated and high quality staff in my office.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to search for ways to enhance the structures of accountability and transparency in the European institutions, to contribute to the reduction of the democratic deficit and to improve the quality of democracy at the European level.

Mr. President!

Thank you for your kind words and your good wishes for success in my new duties. I trust that my solemn declaration and my remarks here today make evident my determination to do all in my power to live up to the expectations generated by my election and the responsibilities linked to this high office.

Thank you for your attention and for honouring me with your presence!