# Speech by the European Ombudsman, Mr P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, on the occasion of his solemn oath at the European Court of Justice, Luxembourg, 1 April 2003
- Autor: Defensor del Pueblo Europeo
- Fecha: 2003-04-01T00:00+02:00[Europe/Paris]
- [URL](https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/es/speech/es/321)
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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!