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Nominations for the European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration 2023
Event document - Date Tuesday | 02 May 2023 - City Brussels - Country Belgium - Date Wednesday | 28 June 2023
Nominations for the European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration in order of receipt.
Public vote closes on Sunday 14 June 2023 at 23:59 CEST.
01. Bringing together data and expertise on drug use in the EU
Category: Excellence in innovation
The ESCAPE (European Syringe Collection and Analysis Project Enterprise) network gathers information about drug use and provides this data to analysts and experts. Implemented in Spring 2022, ESCAPE now has some 10 participating laboratories in over ten European cities and allows professionals access to its experiences, knowledge, questions, and day-to-day work.
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
Trend and Analysis Sector
02. Boosting decision-making efficiency using IT
Category: Excellence in innovation
The Effort/Value Matrix is a new IT tool for saving time and administrative costs by identifying the next priority a team should focus on. It is based on the premise that the next task a team should do should be the one that requires the least effort and brings the highest value. The aim is to get the most out of Commission resources and support efficient administration.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Informatics (DG DIGIT)
Unit A.3 - Solutions for Legislation, Policy & HR
03. Explaining the benefits of EU law to citizens
Category: Excellence in communications
The Commission’s Legal Service has put together a book (70 years of EU Law: A Union for its Citizens) to explain how 70 years of legal integration have benefitted EU citizens by granting them additional rights and freedoms which were unthinkable seven decades ago. Each chapter is a collective effort by a different team of the Legal Service to outline the impact of EU law in different fields, from fundamental values to specific rights in emerging fields, such as the right to be forgotten under EU data protection rules. It is free to download and will be available in all of the EU’s official languages.
European Commission - Legal Service
04. Achieving excellence in budgetary and finance management
Category: Excellence in open administration
A team of Frontex staff has been nominated for the award in recognition of their sound budgetary and finance management, including timely payment processing for numerous contracts, carrying out budgetary control, sustained commitment, and keeping of payment records. This work has contributed to the effective financial and administrative monitoring of projects, in compliance with EU financial regulations, as well as Frontex policies and procedures.
European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex)
Capacity Building Division - Engineering and Acquisition Unit
05. Getting the EU Standing Corps into uniform
Category: Excellence in open administration
A team of Frontex staff has been nominated for the award in recognition of their work preparing a tender for uniforms for the first EU Standing Corps. The project was well thought through so that the uniforms could accommodate differences associated with gender and physical characteristics, and so that they came at a manageable cost. The same team also managed a contract for personal protection equipment, ensuring that the process was quick while monitoring progress with external partners.
European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex)
Capacity Building Division - Engineering and Acquisition Unit
06. Facilitating citizens’ access to EU documents
Category: Excellence in open administration
A new portal makes the process of requesting public access to European Commission documents easier, clearer, and more transparent. Live since September 2022, EASE (Electronic Access to European Commission Documents) allows citizens to submit their requests for access to documents, have an overview of their cases, manage their personal data, communicate with the Commission, and receive the reply to their request electronically. The internal part of the new system makes it easier for staff to handle requests by allowing them to collect and extract a list of identified documents. It also helps the Commission communicate with the applicants via multilingual templates.
European Commission - Secretariat-General (SG)
EASE team:
SG.C.1 - Transparency, Document Management & Access to Documents
SG.C.5 - Digital Solutions & Process Efficiency
07. Supporting the rights of the LGBTQI+ community
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
The European Parliament Liaison Office in Milan, together with the Bped MILANO Cultural Association, organised a dance-theatre show in 2022 to raise awareness about the rights of LGBTQI+ people. Entitled ‘Let me Come Home - The European Parliament for LGBTQI+ rights’, the event involved passers-by and encouraged reflection on inclusive coexistence. It was the first time the European Parliament Liaison Office in Milan took part in initiatives organised during Milan Pride. The show was produced in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Milan and with Milan’s municipal authorities.
European Parliament
Liaison Office in Milan
08. DiscoverEU becomes more inclusive
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
DiscoverEU, which gives 18-year-old residents of the Erasmus+ programme countries the opportunity to fall in love with Europe by travelling around by train for up to one month, is taking steps to become more inclusive. If people have special needs, they can mention it on their application form. Additionally, youngsters facing difficulties will have the chance to receive extra support while travelling, such as having a person accompany them on their travels. The first young people to benefit from the updated programme started their journeys in March 2023.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC)
Unit B.3 - Youth, Volunteer Solidarity and Traineeship Office
09. EU Academy: Online learning platform for the better implementation of EU policies
Category: Excellence in open administration
EU Academy is an EU-owned online learning hub to facilitate the understanding and implementation of EU policies in a wide array of fields. It provides a modern and engaging learning environment for people whose work is related to the EU’s sphere of action. Over 1000 pieces of educational content are available on the platform and there have been over 800,000 course enrolments to date.
European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC)
10. Promoting civic monitoring for EU environmental enforcement
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
Sensing for justice’ explores how evidence gathered by citizens can be used for enforcing environmental law.
Over recent years, it has produced scientific studies on the factors that facilitate the acceptance of citizen-gathered evidence in court, and offered training for environmental mediators on civic monitoring as a tool to mitigate environmental conflicts. It was recently recognised by the ‘Falling Walls Foundation’ for promoting citizens’ interest in science.
European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Directorate T - Digital Transformation and Data, Unit T.1 - Digital Economy
11. Educating people about how new technologies affect their privacy
Category: Excellence in communications
The EDPS developed TechSonar to educate and empower people about the implications of new technology for their personal data. Through a webpage and annual reports, it provides citizens with independent information so that they can assess new technologies without relying only on industry-provided information. The TechSonar report for 2022-3 foresaw the rise of fake news detection and the Metaverse. This approach helps EDPS better plan its work programme and produce useful opinions and publications.
European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
Technology and Privacy Unit
12. The European Year of Youth - putting young people centre stage
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
2022 was designated the European Year of Youth (EYY) as a way of thanking young Europeans for their sacrifices during the difficult COVID-19 period and as an opportunity to offer them a positive perspective. By the beginning of 2023, the campaign reached over 171 million Europeans via social media. More than 12,500 activities in over 70 countries were registered on the interactive map on the EYY homepage. There were also over 100 Commission policy initiatives targeting young people
European Commission - Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC)
Unit B.3 - Youth, Volunteer Solidarity and Traineeships Office
13. Fostering privacy and data protection rights through alternative social media platforms
Category: Excellence in innovation
The EDPS has launched a public pilot phase of two social media platforms: EU Voice (microblogging) and EU Video (video channels) that prioritise individuals and their right to privacy and data protection. EU institutions can register and interact with users on EU Voice and upload videos on EU Video. There are no advertisements and no profiling of users on these platforms, and they are not based on hidden algorithms. Individuals also have control over how their personal data is used. The overall aim is to contribute to EU digital sovereignty and promote the independence of the public sector online.
European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
Information and Communication Unit
Technology and Privacy Unit
14. Encouraging better project management in public administrations
Category: Excellence in open administration
A new methodology for project management (PM²), developed by the Commission for the effective management of the entire lifecycle of projects, has been shared with Member States. The aim is to make it easier for European project managers to manage different types and sizes of projects. It is primarily targeted at public administrations in the EU and is useful for managing cross-institutional, cross-member state, and public-private initiatives. It should lead to better governance, consistent reporting, and reduced risks throughout the project lifecycle.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Informatics (DG DIGIT)
Centre of Excellence in PM²
15. Making sustainable products the norm
Category: Excellence in open administration
Three Commission Directorates-General joined forces to create the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) - a tool that aims to make all products on the EU market sustainable. ESPR will push industry to think about and act on the environmental implications of their production design processes. A Digital Product Passport will mean citizens have all the necessary product data to make informed and environmentally-friendly purchasing choices.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV), Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER)
16. Positive Action Programme for trainees with a disability
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
The Council implemented a pilot Positive Action Programme for trainees with a disability (up to six paid traineeships per year) to provide more opportunities to people with disabilities and to be more disability-inclusive. Between 2020 and 2022, 13 trainees with physical, mental, intellectual, and sensory impairments worked in 10 different departments. As soon as trainees were selected, the Council checked if they needed accommodation and made sure they had all the necessary software, hardware, and ergonomic equipment. Trainees also received a disability allowance and participated in the educational and cultural activities provided to all other trainees. The programme has now become a permanent part of the Council’s general traineeship offer.
Council of the European Union - General Secretariat of the Council
Diversity and Inclusion Office, Traineeships Office
17. Kohesio: Discover EU projects in you region
Category: Excellence in open administration
Launched in 2022, and available in the 24 EU languages, Kohesio is a comprehensive knowledge database offering easy and transparent access to up-to-date information on all projects and beneficiaries co-funded by the EU’s cohesion policy. It contains over 1.7 million projects and 500,000 beneficiaries for the funding period 2014-2020. Users can discover EU-funded projects in their region or cities through the main map or perform specific searches via the project research page. Kohesio was built in partnership with the managing authorities in the different Member States and DG REGIO, DG CNECT, and DG DIGIT were all involved in its development. New features and data are continually being added to make it even more use-friendly.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO)
Unit A.2 - Communication
18. Sharing labs to drive excellence and innovation
Category: Excellence in open administration
The JRC has opened the doors of its laboratories to researchers from around Europe. The aim of the Open Access to Research Infrastructures programme is to allow young students and scientific experts to do research that they could not do in their home country due to limited resources. Researchers from academia and industry are regularly invited to submit proposals that are evaluated by a panel of international experts based on their inclusivity, scientific excellence, and strategic relevance. Since 2017, nearly 400 researchers from more than 150 institutions across Europe have benefitted. The researchers work alongside JRC scientists and publish articles together. Part of the programme is also focused on training and capacity building.
European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Unit S.4 - Scientific Development Programmes
19. Disabilities Awareness Week
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
The European Court of Auditors organised a Disabilities Awareness Week for the second time in 2022. The week featured a series of webinars, workshops, and events, which were open to staff from all EU institutions and agencies. By organising the dedicated week, the ECA aimed to raise awareness and promote an inclusive ‘can-do’ culture focusing on what people with disabilities can do in life and at work.
European Court of Auditors
Diversity and Inclusion - HR services
20. Guidance on compliance with the principles of good administration
Category: Excellence in open administration
The Compliance Monitoring Unit of the Parliament’s DG Finance created guidance documents for staff to help develop a culture of excellent service and administration. The published guides focus on ‘Confidentiality and discretion’, ‘Transparency’, and ‘Principles of Good Administration’. The Unit has also launched compliance roundtables (small workshops and discussions with colleagues on good administration topics), as well as Compliance Today newsletters, which include best practice for staff.
European Parliament
Directorate-General for Finance (DG FIN), Compliance Monitoring Unit
21. EU in my Region campaigns
Category: Excellence in communications
There have been over 65 ‘EU in my Region’ campaigns in 12 Member States since 2018. These multimedia campaigns work with regional authorities to highlight the link between the EU and people’s lives. The campaigns often address important local topics, involve local events, and engage with popular personalities to show how the EU is making a positive difference in the EU’s regions.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO)
Unit A.2 - Communication
22. Fighting wildfires in Europe
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
The EU experienced one of its worst wildfire seasons in 2022, which threatened lives, wildlife, and livestock. In response, DG ECHO organised the deployment of EU planes and helicopters, as well as hundreds of European firefighters, to fight fires across Europe. In addition, it developed a new Wildfire Prevention Action Plan and has taken steps to double the EU’s aerial firefighting fleet for 2023.
European Commission - Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO)
Directorate A - Emergency Management and RescEU
Directorate B - Disaster Preparedness and Prevention
23. Providing lifesaving support to the people of Ukraine
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
DG ECHO has been providing humanitarian aid, including food, shelter, energy, and medical care, to people in Ukraine. By the end of 2022, it had allocated €485 million to fund support projects and mobilised 80 000 tons of supplies for people in need. It has also coordinated medical evacuations of over 1700 Ukrainian patients to European hospitals.
European Commission - Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO)
Directorate A - Emergency Management and RescEU
Directorate C - Neighbourhood and Middle East
24. Connecting Europeans to the EIT ecosystem
Category: Excellence in communications
INNOVEIT WEEKS was organised at 10 locations across Europe to bring together key players from research, business and education and discuss current and future challenges in key policy areas. Sixteen EIT Open Days were also held to connect local citizens to the opportunities offered by the EIT Community. INNOVEIT WEEKS culminated with the EIT Summit in Brussels, which included the launch of the EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative and the EIT Awards.
European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT)
Communications & Engagement Unit
25. Building a future-proof EU agency in the digital era
Category: Excellence in innovation
The Community Plant Variety Office is future-proofing itself for the digital era. Through the creation of a digital transformation unit, the agency adapted its infrastructure and equipment for sustained teleworking, facilitated the transition to the Cloud, rolled out an extensive cybersecurity programme, and is introducing new digital services. The agency also worked with consultants to identify areas for improvement and held team-building events to set strategic objectives.
Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)
Presidency, Digital Transformation Unit, and People & Resources Unit
26. Diversity and inclusion survey 2021
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
A diversity and inclusion survey helped the Commission, its Executive Agencies, and the External Action Service learn about the diversity of their staff, use this data for HR policies, and raise awareness. Based on the findings, the Commission put together a detailed action plan to ensure its staff reflect the diversity of European society and that its work environment is fair, respectful, and inclusive. Similar action plans for the Executive Agencies and External Action Service are also expected.
European Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS)
Commission’s Task Force on Equality Secretariat and Diversity and Inclusion Office
EEAS’ Human Resources Department
27. Helping civil society document core international crimes
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
The Guidelines for Documenting International Crimes and Human Rights Violations for Criminal Accountability Purposes aim to help civil society organisations collect and preserve information in a way that lets it become admissible evidence in court. The guidelines were prepared through a collaborative effort and are versatile enough to be adapted to the conditions and context in which different civil society organisations operate.
European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust)
Eurojust Genocide Network
and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
28. Initiatives supporting Ukrainian civil society
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
The EESC has been working to help civil society organisations in Ukraine and in the EU provide relief to Ukrainians. Since the start of Russia’s invasion, the EESC has allowed various Ukrainian NGOs to use its premises and logistical equipment. They have also created a translation booklet and card game for children to help Ukrainian refugees in Belgium. Furthermore, the EESC’s 2022 Civil Society Prize was dedicated to initiatives supporting Ukrainian civil society.
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
29. Ensuring the European Parliament communicates clearly in 24 languages
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
The European Parliament launched a Citizens’ Language Policy to help parliamentarians and officials make their communication with each other and with citizens clearer, and to improve the clarity of legislative and procedural texts. Specific projects under the new policy include language professionals tailoring translated texts to the intended audience’s culture or needs, better use of subtitles in 24 languages in videos, and the creation of podcasts based on existing written content for blind or partially sighted people.
European Parliament
Directorate-General for Translation
30. Showing how EU humanitarian aid is helping the Ukrainian people
Category: Excellence in communications
DG ECHO is carrying out a communications campaign to show Europeans what the EU is doing to deliver lifesaving aid to civilians harmed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The campaign has included interviews with refugees, pictures of European firefighters handing over trucks to their Ukrainian counterparts, using social media to report directly from a bunker in Kyiv during an air raid, and highlighting EU deliveries of power generators and other energy equipment following Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
European Commission - Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO)
01 - Communication
31. EU Digital COVID Certificate
Category: Excellence in innovation
The Commission created the EU Digital COVID Certificate as an easy way to demonstrate proof of COVID-19 vaccination, recovery, or test status, as well as to avoid a fragmented and likely incompatible system of national certificates. When a Member State waived pandemic-related travel restrictions for persons with proof of vaccination, test, or recovery, the EU Digital COVID Certificate guaranteed that all EU citizens could benefit from these exemptions.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST), Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE)
DG JUST’s Unit C.4 - Democracy, Union Citizenship and Free Movement;
DG CNECT’s Unit H.3 - eHealth, Well-being and Aging and Unit R.3 - Knowledge Management and Innovative Systems;
DG SANTE’s Unit B.2 - Health Security and Unit C.1 - Digital Health
32. Showing EU solidarity with Ukraine
Category: Excellence in communications
The Commission’s communications department quickly developed materials to show EU solidarity with Ukraine and to support the EU’s response to Russia’s invasion. These included a website, social media materials, and testimonials of Ukrainians fleeing their country and Europeans welcoming them into their homes. The EU’s Europe Direct Contact Centres also established a hotline (in Ukrainian and Russian) to provide practical information to people fleeing the war. Later on, the ‘You are EU’ campaign linked the energy transition with EU values as part of a comprehensive policy response to Russia’s war of aggression.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM)
33. Online platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
The Conference on the Future of Europe online platform provided a central location for conference-related contributions from online debates and grassroots events from across Europe. The integrated e-Translation tool facilitated discussions between EU citizens from different countries, enabling a real pan-European debate. Participants could also endorse ideas and the contributions of others via the platform.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM)
Unit C.3 - Citizens’ Dialogues
with the support of Unit A.1 - Social Media & Visual Communication, Unit A.4 - Audiovisual Service, Unit B.3 - Europa Web Communication, Unit D.2 - Legal Advice, Security & Document Management, and the Secretariat-General’s Unit A.5 - Foresight & Strategic Communication
34. EU teams up with UEFA to protect the climate
Category: Excellence in communications
The European Commission teamed up with UEFA to raise awareness about the climate crisis and to inspire football fans to reduce energy consumption. The advertising campaign featured famous footballers using various football tricks to show how simple changes in our daily lives can aid the fight against climate change. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis, a new ‘Become a fan of energy saving too’ ad was created, replacing football stars with ordinary people taking everyday actions to reduce their energy consumption.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM)
Unit B.1 - Strategy & Corporate Campaigns
35. New digital exhibition on the European Commission’s work
Category: Excellence in communications
Experience Europe is the Commission’s new digital info centre and its first multimedia exhibition in Brussels. The exhibition features examples of how the Commission’s work benefits EU citizens, includes videos of Commission officials discussing their work, and offers people the opportunity to virtually meet its president and ask her questions. The Experience Europe team is also continuously updating content so that people can discover something new every time they visit.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM)
Unit B.4 - Experience Europe
36. Social media community managers engaging with EU citizens
Category: Excellence in communications
DG COMM community managers show that the Commission listens and interacts with the public through social media. Community managers engage online audiences on country-specific topics, encourage feedback, and participate in conversations to answer citizens’ questions and help them feel like they are part of the wider EU community.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM)
Unit A.1 - Social Media & Visual Communication, Unit C.2 - Political and Economic Intelligence, and Commission’s Representations & Regional Representations
37. Reducing red tape in cross-border administrative procedures
Category: Excellence in innovation
The Once-Only Technical System lets EU public authorities securely exchange official documents and data at the request of citizens and businesses as part of cross-border administrative procedures, e.g., when registering an address or vehicle or when moving abroad. This innovative system eliminates the complicated manual search, mapping, and fetching of data between Member State authorities, improving efficiency, making people’s lives easier, and reducing the costs of mobility in the EU Single Market.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), Directorate-General for Informatics (DG DIGIT)
Once-Only Technical System team
38. Helping EU citizens understand monetary policy in times of high inflation
Category: Excellence in communications
The European Central Bank worked to make its communications on monetary policy easier to understand. The Introductory Statement given by its President at the regular press conference was replaced with a less complicated and more narrative-driven Monetary Policy Statement, which was complimented by an ‘Our Monetary Policy Statement at a Glance’ document summarising the key messages in accessible language and using striking visuals
European Central Bank (ECB)
Directorate-General for Communications
39. Helping schools and teachers with digital tools and technologies
Category: Excellence in innovation
The online SELFIE tools support schools and teachers in the use of digital technologies. Customisable questionnaires allow school leaders, teachers, and students to express their views on how technology is used at their school. The results are compiled in an interactive report that identifies strengths and weaknesses, and which can be used to start a conversation on technology use and develop an action plan. Teachers can also use SELFIE to get tips and guidance on how to improve their own digital skills.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), Joint Research Centre (JRC), Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL)
SELFIE teams
40. Free Wi-Fi hotspots across Europe
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
The WiFi4EU initiative provides free Wi-Fi in public spaces across Europe with 93,000 hotspots currently installed in over 7,250 municipalities, including in remote communities. The initiative works directly with municipalities through a voucher scheme to ensure sound financial management and that Wi-Fi hotspots are installed in the best locations possible. The service saw a peak of seven million users in August 2022.
Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)
41. Improving treatment guidance and reducing mortality for people who use opioids
Category: Excellence in innovation
The OPTIMUS (OPioid Treatment outcomes Interview for Maintenance medication USers) network focuses on improving opioid treatment practice by developing expert guidance and outcome indicators. Through this, the network works to save and improve the lives of people who use opioids and reduce the stigma and discrimination they often face, while also promoting non-stigmatising patient-physician relationships.
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
Public Health Unit
42. Helping staff with disabilities find accessible EU delegations
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
Thanks to a new factsheet and video, EU staff with disabilities now know how different EU delegations fare when it comes to accessibility. The factsheet has information on floors, elevators, and parking, as well as details about doctors and on-site healthcare. It was drawn up by a staff member with a disability, alongside members of the medical and infrastructure services. Updated annually, the factsheet covers all 139 delegations, and is accompanied by a video on accessibility in the EU delegations. The overall aim is to help people with disabilities apply for positions in EU delegations.
European External Action Service (EEAS)
43. A virtual celebration of Ukraine’s Vyshyvanka Day
Category: Excellence in communications
The EU Delegation to Ukraine organised a virtual celebration of Vyshyvanka Day, which focuses on traditional Ukrainian embroidered clothing. They created a unique visual identity, augmented reality filters, GIF stickers, and more, to help people celebrate the day even if they were far from home. They also worked with a Ukrainian illustrator from Kharkiv who produced illustrations of colleagues’ pets in vyshyvankas, with the proceeds from this work going to local charities.
European External Action Service (EEAS)
Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine
44. Informing EU citizens about their fundamental rights
Category: Excellence in communications
The #RightHereRightNow campaign informs Europeans about their fundamental rights and how to use them. Photos and videos on the subject from talented artists were shared with EU citizens through social media. The campaign website also tells visitors how to seek redress if their rights are breached and includes contact information for national human rights bodies, equality bodies, ombudsman institutions, and others who can help.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST)
Unit H.2 - Inter-Institutional Relations and Communication
45. Optimising hybrid communications in the European Parliament
Category: Excellence in communications
The #BeHeard campaign works to ensure good quality audio and interpretation for broadcasts of hybrid European Parliament meetings so that EU citizens can better follow the democratic process. It does this through the advance testing of remote participants’ audio equipment, the distribution of high quality microphones, hybrid meeting etiquette coaching, a guide for speakers in remote multilingual meetings, and more.
European Parliament
Directorate-General for Logistics and Interpretation for Conferences
46. Public buyers working together to procure sustainable solutions
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
The EU-enabled Big Buyers for Climate and Environment initiative promotes collaboration between cities, central purchasing bodies, and other public authorities in the strategic procurement of sustainable solutions. By working together through this initiative, public administrations are able to steer the market into developing new technologies for a greener and more digital future, ensure higher quality and more cost-effective public services, and promote transparent public administration.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW)
Unit C.2 - Public Procurement
47. Virtual classroom visits to the Court of Justice of the European Union
Category: Excellence in communications
The Court of Justice has started organising virtual visits of its institution for secondary school students from across Europe. The virtual visits are conducted in the language of the participating schools, and include a live presentation of the Court's activity by a lawyer, a virtual guided tour of the premises, and two short films, where court authorities respond to questions and staff members share the story of a case and explain their daily work. As part of the visit, students also have the opportunity to share their ideas on Europe with a judge or an advocate general.
Court of Justice of the European Union
Directorate for Protocol and Visits
48. Podcast providing an inside look at Europol operations
Category: Excellence in communications
The Europol podcast tells the stories of Europol operations through the officers who were there. The two-part special episode ‘Operational Task Force Greenlight’ explains the Operation Task Force—a crime-fighting setup designed to conduct concerted actions against sophisticated organised criminals across borders. It describes how staff from Europol, alongside the Swedish National Police and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, carried out one of Europol’s largest ever operations, which saw national police across the world conduct hundreds of simultaneous arrests.
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)
Corporate Communication Team
49. Enhancing police cooperation through technology sharing
Category: Excellence in innovation
The Europol Tool Repository promotes enhanced cooperation among law enforcement authorities in Europe by providing an online platform for them to share their non-commercial cost-free software with each other. Fourteen tools are currently available in the repository for law enforcement and they have already been used to support police operations across Europe.
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)
Innovation Lab and Institutional & Legal Affairs Department
50. Protecting EU recovery funds from organised crime and fraudsters
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
The Next Generation EU Law Enforcement Forum facilitates cooperation between EU Member States, EU institutions, and international organisations to protect EU COVID-19 recovery funds from falling into the hands of criminals. The Forum enables the better sharing of intelligence and early warning signs among participants to better detect and prevent fraud and other criminal activity.
European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)
Institutional & Legal Affairs Department
in cooperation with Polizia di Stato (Italy)
51. Helping EU tourism become greener, more digital, and more resilient
Category: Excellence in open administration
Through a series of collaborative discussions, DG GROW worked with stakeholders to develop ways to make the EU tourism sector greener, more digital, and more resilient. It is also collecting stakeholder pledges for specific tourism-related actions, organising meetings, facilitating cooperation, and sharing good practice through an expanding ‘Together for EU Tourism’ community.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW)
Unit G.1 - Tourism Team
52. Providing reliable information on COVID-19 rules in different EU countries
Category: Excellence in citizen-oriented delivery
Re-open EU is an online platform and app that provides the latest information on COVID-19 travel restrictions, health measures, the EU Digital COVID Certificate, and the epidemiological situation in EU and Schengen associated countries. The platform’s main mission was to promote safe tourism during the pandemic and meet the demand for reliable and authoritative information on existing rules in different countries.
European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Unit B.3 - Territorial Development
53. Teaching Europeans about food safety
Category: Excellence in communications
#EUChooseSafeFood is a communications campaign to raise awareness about the EU’s food safety system and empower EU citizens to make food choices with confidence. A dedicated website provides information on a range of hot food safety topics, and by working with food safety authorities in Member States, the campaign delivers tailored content to local audiences. Special campaign activities have included a video competition for Instagram Reels where citizens reorganised their fridges to reduce food waste, Facebook Live events with campaign ambassadors to discuss food safety topics, and a campaign video bringing together scientists and celebrity chefs.
European Food Safety Agency (EFSA)
Communication Unit
54. Creating a mix of innovative work environments
Category: Excellence in innovation
The New Ways of Working pilot project creates innovative work environments for staff to improve performance and collaboration. Staff can choose from a mix of available workspaces depending on the task and these spaces are integrated with modern IT tools to reinforce digital, flexible, and hybrid ways of working. Participants are also provided with training opportunities to make use of their innovative environments and develop new ways of working.
Council of the European Union - General Secretariat of the Council
55. Working with children to produce a new EU strategy on the rights of the child
Category: Excellence in diversity and inclusion
The EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child was designed with children and for children. In creating the strategy, the team at DG JUST received over 10,000 replies to an online questionnaire from children across Europe and beyond, as well as input from over 50 focus groups. They also met with children after the strategy’s adoption to explain what was included and what was not, and why. Alongside the official version of the strategy, the team produced an illustrated version for kids. A guide on how to write for children was also produced and the team gave workshops on how to draft child-friendly and accessible documents.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST)
Unit C.2 - Fundamental Rights Policy
56. Making it easier to find information on Joint Research Centre collaboration agreements
Category: Excellence in innovation
The internal HARMONIA (Holistic Agreements Registry & Monitoring Application of the JRC) tool makes it easier for researchers at the Joint Research Centre to find information on collaboration agreements with strategic partners, such as research institutions, academia, industry, and governments. This facilitates the work of researchers engaging with external partners and enables them to better follow-up on the results of collaborative projects.
European Commission - Joint Research Centre (JRC)
HARMONIA Team
57. International Product Safety Week
Category: Excellence in open administration
International Product Safety Week is a biennial event that brings together safety experts from around the world to tackle the most topical and emerging product safety issues. The theme of the 2022 event was ‘new horizons for product safety’ and included discussions on new market trends, interactive learning tools, and brainstorming sessions. An International Product Safety Community discussion forum was also created as a follow-up to the event.
European Commission - Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST)
Unit B.4 - Product Safety and Rapid Alert System
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