Wednesday, 27 April 2022

14.00 - 17.30

Public session

European Parliament in Strasbourg (France) – Louise Weiss building – Room LOW S1.4
Meeting point: Winston Churchill building – Avenue du Président Robert Schuman

13.00 - 14.00   Registration in the Winston Churchill building (WIC) and welcome coffee

14.00 - 14.10    Opening speech

• Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

14.10 - 15.30   Session 1

Sharing best practices for helping refugees

The war in Ukraine has created millions of refugees looking for safe haven throughout the EU. In response, the EU for the first time activated the Temporary Protection Directive to offer quick assistance to people fleeing Ukraine. The Directive allows for access to accommodation, employment, health care and education in Member States. Ombudsmen are in a key position to monitor how national governments are dealing with refugees.

Speakers

• Emily O’Reilly, European Ombudsman
• Liudmyla Denisova, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights 
• Hanna Machińska, Polish Deputy Ombudsman
• Renate Weber, Romanian Ombudsman 
• Ákos Kozma, Hungarian Ombudsman
• Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg

Call-in speakers

• Andreas Pottakis, Greek Ombudsman
• Beate Böhlen, Baden-Württemberg Ombudsman (Germany)

15.30 - 16.00   Coffee break

16.00 - 17.30   Session 2

Digitalisation of public administrations: how citizens’ access to rights have been affected

The pandemic has greatly accelerated the digitalisation of public administrations. This session will discuss the overall challenges arising from this change. Specific issues include citizens’ access to rights, the transparency of decision making, and ensuring that public administrations are as inclusive as possible. 

16.00 - 16.10   Keynote speech

• Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms

16.10 - 17.30   Speakers

• Claire Hédon, French Ombudsman
• Reinier van Zutphen, Dutch Ombudsman 
• Ülle Madise, Estonian Ombudsman 
• Marine Boudeau, Responsible for inclusive policies, French Ministry for Transformation/Digitalisation (France)
• Clara Deville, Researcher in the field of Sociology, INRAE (France)

Call-in speakers

• Thomas Lecourt, Regional manager, Emmaüs Connect (France)
• Marino Fardelli, Lazio Ombudsman (Italy)

Moderator

• Johann Koullepis, freelance journalist
  

18.30   ENO members embark at the European Parliament pier

18.45 - 19.30   Batorama tour between the Parliament and the old town

The boat will leave you at the Batorama pier at Palais des Rohan (5 or 10 minutes’ walk from Palais des Rohan to the different hotels. 5 or 10 minutes’ walk from the different hotels to the Town Hall).

20.15   Dinner for members of the Network

In the Strasbourg Town Hall (9 rue Brûlée, 67000 Strasbourg) courtesy of Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg.

 

Thursday, 28 April 2022

09.00 - 12.30

ENO members

European Parliament – Louise Weiss building – Room LOW S2.1
Meeting point: Winston Churchill building – Avenue du Président Robert Schuman

08.00 - 09.00   Registration in the Winston Churchill building (WIC) and welcome coffee

09.00 - 09.05   Welcome

• Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman

09.05 - 10.30   Session 3

Digitalisation of public administrations: the role of ombudsmen

Members of the Network will take a deeper look at the role of ombudsmen in monitoring digital developments in public administrations, including whether ombudsmen offices have the resources and tools to fully carry out the task. This session will focus on practical ways in which ombudsmen can ensure that administrations are acting in the public interest.

Speakers

• Manuel Lezertua Rodríguez, Basque Ombudsman (Spain)
• Tuomas Pöysti, Chancellor of Justice of Finland 
• Barbara Schleicher-Rothmund, Ombudsman of Rheinland-Palatinate (Germany) 
• Niels Fenger, Danish Ombudsman
• Jérôme Aass, Federal Ombudsman of Belgium

Call-in speaker

• Gabriele Morandell, South Tyrol Ombudsman (Italy)

10.30 - 11.00   Coffee break

11.00 - 11.30   Session 4

Where to next for Ombudsmen and digitalisation? 

This session will draw conclusions from the previous panels on digitalisation and discuss next steps, including long-term cooperation and monitoring of the issue by the European Network of Ombudsmen.

11.30 - 12.25   Session 5

Good practice principles for government transparency in the use of recovery funds: presentation by the OECD

EU member states are receiving large amounts of EU money to help their economies recover from the pandemic. At least 20 per cent of the money must be put towards digital transformation, including the digitalisation of public administrations. The public has a right to know how governments plan to spend the money to meet these objectives. Ombudsmen can play a role in ensuring that decisions on where the funds will go are taken in a transparent and accountable way. Ombudsmen will join representatives from the OECD to discuss how best to ensure this.

Speakers

• Alessandro Bellantoni, Head of the Open Government and Civic Space Unit, Public Governance Directorate, OECD
• Rosita Hickey, Director of Inquiries, European Ombudsman 

12.25 - 12.30   Closing of the Conference

• Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman

Moderator

• Johann Koullepis, freelance journalist

12.30 - 13.30   Sandwich lunch in the European Parliament