Dear Mr A.,
On 21 February 2000, you made a complaint to the European Ombudsman concerning payment for work which you carried out for the Commission in the evaluation of funding proposals submitted under the Human Potential programme of the 5th framework programme.
On 27 March 2000, I forwarded the complaint to the President of the European Commission. On 6 June 2000, the Commission sent an opinion on your complaint which stated that the payment had now been made to you. You had already informed me by letter dated 25 February 2000 that the Commission had made the payment due and that your complaint was satisfied. It therefore seemed unnecessary to invite you to submit observations on the Commission's opinion.
I am writing now to let you know the result of the inquiries that have been made.

THE COMPLAINT

The complainant alleged that the Commission had failed to pay him for services which he provided in the evaluation of funding proposals submitted under the Human Potential programme of the 5th framework programme. The work was carried out in Brussels in September 1999 and the invoice submitted immediately on his return to Sweden. Despite repeated assurances that the claim would be dealt with, payment had not been made by the date of the complaint. The complainant claimed the payment due and interest.
In its opinion, the Commission explained that the complainant presented his invoice for €2 032.52 on 23 September 1999. The invoice was not forwarded to the financial department until all the invoices from the panel of experts had been received. In order to accelerate the procedure, this practice was recently changed and invoices are now sent to the financial department as soon as they are received.
The financial department received the file on 15 November 1999. Because of the work-load at the end of the financial year and the introduction of a new tool for checking and validating entries in the Commission third-party ledger the complainant's file was not validated by the financial department until 11 January 2000.
This delay was exacerbated by further technical delays in re-opening accounts in 2000. The payment order was finally approved on 10 February 2000 and sent to the bank on 22 February 2000.
The Commission expressed regret and apologised for the delays. A further payment of € 24.33 in respect of interest was authorised on 21 March 2000.
By the date the Commission's opinion was received, the complainant had already informed the Ombudsman that the Commission had made the payment due and that his complaint was satisfied. It therefore seemed unnecessary to invite the complainant to submit observations on the above opinion from the Commission.

THE DECISION

1 The complainant alleged that the Commission had failed to pay him for services which he provided. He claimed payment as well as interest for the delay.
2 The Commission made the payment due and also agreed to pay interest in respect of the delay. It expressed regret for the delay and made an apology to the complainant. It also explained why the delay occurred and measures taken to eliminate for the future one of its causes.
3 The Commission has therefore taken steps to settle the matter and has satisfied the complainant. The Ombudsman therefore closes the case.
The President of the Commission will also be informed of this decision.
Yours sincerely
Jacob SÖDERMAN