Dear colleagues and friends,

First of all, a warm greeting to all the old friends with whom I had the pleasure of working in the ENO during my time as Deputy Ombudsman of Portugal, as well as to the many new faces joining us today.

I am particularly pleased to introduce the new members who joined the ENO this year, each bringing exceptional depth and breadth of leadership experience. They are, in alphabetical order: Christian from Denmark, Claudine from Luxembourg, Karina from Latvia, Mehmet from Turkey, Nicolas from Wallonia, and Venceslava from Bulgaria.

I would also like to extend a warm greeting to our colleagues from the European Commission and the FRA, as well as the Fundamental Rights Officers from Frontex and the EUAA, who will share their expertise during our workshops. My thanks as well to Ms Matheson Mestad, the representative of the Venice Commission, who will be joining us online.

Starting from its very first days back in 1996, the central activity of the ENO has been our annual conference. May I say that this year’s conference is special for many reasons.

First, in the almost 30-year history of the ENO, it has never been as important as it is today that we all come together—every one of us—to think about ENO’s future and, in that context, our own professional future, as we confront the uncertainties of our time.

We are at a pivotal moment. We face interconnected challenges across the globe: conflict, inequality, climate disruption, migration, rising authoritarianism, polarisation, and health disparities. Europe, in particular, is dealing with serious difficulties—war at our borders, a hostile international environment, and more frequent climate-related extreme events, just to name a few.

We also confront major social challenges, as shown clearly in the Social Scoreboard. Despite improvements in some areas, more can be done related to inequality and poverty, rising homelessness, weak educational outcomes, and persistent discrimination.

EU citizens are, understandably, most concerned about the issues they encounter every day: affordable housing, fair pay, a lack of progress in reducing poverty in their communities, and the quality of services and education. The Eurobarometer confirms these concerns very clearly.

Ombudsmen deal with complaints on all of these issues. We also open our own-initiative inquiries and intervene in many different ways, as our mandates allow. We are at the centre of these challenges, and we share our experiences and good practices in many fora. ENO is, of course, one of those.

But it is also something different—and that difference deserves to be highlighted.

There is considerable diversity within the EU family of ombudsmen: in terms of functions, powers, and orientations among public sector ombudsmen, whether at the national or regional level. Naturally, within ENO, stronger relationships may develop between ombudsmen who have similar functions and operate in similar legal systems.

But all of them—all of us—ensure that citizens’ rights under EU law are upheld. We apply EU law and oversee its implementation in our administrations, and this shared purpose is what holds us together.

We are one community.

Being informal and lightly institutionalised, I consider ENO a true community of practice—a place where ombudsmen applying EU law come together to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and collaborate in our work.

As the ENO founder and the first European Ombudsman, Jacob Söderman, wrote in his 1996 annual report to the European Parliament, the ENO was created to “make citizens' rights under EU law a living reality at all levels within the Union and its Member States.”

Indeed, EU law has become a natural foundation for ombudsmen’s work, alongside national rules. Ombudsmen have a duty to review administrative activity in the implementation of EU law, ensuring that both substantive and procedural rights are fully respected within their national legal systems.

Today, this ENO conference is also special for another reason. ENO has existed for almost 30 years—a remarkable legacy on which we should build the future of our community. My Office recently consulted ENO members’ offices to gather their thoughts on how we might reimagine ENO, with the ambitious goal of making a meaningful impact on EU citizens’ rights in the years to come.

Building on the foundations laid over the past three decades, this strategic expansion positions us to fully realize ENO’s potential as a vibrant community of ombudsmen upholding EU law, making the most of ENO’s unique tools.

I refer to parallel inquiries and queries on EU law as unique ENO tools, though there may be others that make ENO distinctive, as we will discuss over the course of today and tomorrow. While ENO members may have different approaches, we face many shared challenges where these tools can be particularly helpful.

With this in mind, this year’s ENO Conference takes a fresh approach in both organisation and format. The thematic scope has been broadened, and the programme has been designed to ensure active and inclusive participation. Much of it has been shaped by national and regional ombudsmen offices, reflecting the priorities and experiences of all members.

We will come together for two plenaries, providing moments for the entire community to engage. Beyond that, the conference features eight special workshops, with 16 ombudsmen serving as rapporteurs and moderators, ensuring wide participation and interaction.

This is your ENO conference—an opportunity for all of us to learn, exchange, and contribute.

It is my hope and expectation that the 2025 ENO Conference will be an open agora, where ombudsmen with different mandates can engage in sustained dialogue on EU law issues and hear from the experts from the European Commission and three EU agencies who have kindly agreed to join us. It should be a shared space where no geographical boundaries—north, south, east, or west—exist. It should also provide an opportunity to create or strengthen professional relationships.

Remember: ENO was founded on the principle that we need each other to stay in the game.

Indeed, ombudsmen are eager to meet, engage, and exchange ideas. Similar challenges exist everywhere. We should identify them and seek solutions. Why is there sometimes a disconnect between EU law and society? The EU has silos, while society is broad. What kind of Europe should we strive for?

Today and tomorrow, we will also begin a process to reimagine ENO’s future and develop a long-term roadmap aligned with our impact mission. This will take place through eight workshops, exploring dimensions critical to our success.

Ombudsmen are not merely complaint handlers or problem solvers. We are instigators and educators. We advocate not only for individual administrative justice but also for a culture of fairness and service in public administration. The people matter, truth counts, and public service must have practical meaning.

In all of this, we must preserve our independence. It is no surprise that the workshop on independence has attracted the most attention. I am grateful to the Venice Commission for kindly sharing their expertise, and I thank our colleague David, the Federal Ombudsman of Belgium, for guiding us through the delicate relationship between the Venice principles and the Paris principles that underpin our offices.

We will also address some of the inherent challenges of our work: managing the many mandates assigned under EU law, monitoring the monitors, navigating multiple coexisting complaint mechanisms, and overseeing semi-public and semi-private administrations. With the experts from the European Commission, we will explore how EU law supports ombudsmen in advocating for citizens’ rights.

You—national and regional ombudsmen—are the heart and soul of ENO.

Your experiences, insights, and leadership give ENO its power and purpose. As we chart a new course for the next 30 years, engaging with you and listening to your ideas will be central. Over these two half days, I invite you to reflect on what you value most about ENO, your hopes for its future, and how we can best use ENO’s unique tools to serve EU citizens and residents. Consider the unique contributions you can make to our collective impact as a community facing Europe’s—and the world’s —most pressing challenges.

Thank you for being part of this remarkable community. Looking back on ENO’s achievements through opportunities and challenges, I share, as my distinguished predecessors did, deep gratitude for your resilience, dedication, and spirit of innovation. I also want to acknowledge the extraordinary commitment of your teams—and mine—to our purpose and mission.

The work ahead belongs to all of us. With excitement for the journey forward, I am delighted to declare open the 2025 ENO Conference.