The case concerned the daily allowance paid to the complainant, an expert working on a twinning project in Albania.

The local Delegation and the twinning project leader agreed to pay a reduced daily allowance to the complainant. The project leader subsequently recruited two other experts whom it paid a higher daily allowance. Dissatisfied, the complainant asked that his allowance be raised with effect from the beginning of his work on the twinning project. The Delegation agreed to raise the allowance but refused to apply it retroactively. The complainant then turned to the Ombudsman arguing that the Delegation’s position was discriminatory.

The Ombudsman found that the applicable rules allowed experts to be paid different daily allowances. These rules also allowed the amounts of the allowance to be changed, but for the future only. The Ombudsman concluded that the Delegation had acted in accordance with the applicable rules and closed the case with a finding of no maladministration.