Meklēt izmeklēšanas

The case concerned the decision of the European Banking Authority (EBA) to allow its Executive Director to take up a position as CEO of a lobby group.

The Ombudsman found two instances of maladministration and made three recommendations to avoid similar issues arising in future.

First, the EBA should, where necessary, invoke the option of forbidding its senior staff from taking up certain positions after their term-of-office. Any such prohibition should be time-limited, for example, for two years.

Second, the EBA should set out criteria for when it will forbid such moves in future so as to give clarity to senior staff. Applicants for senior EBA posts should be informed of the criteria when they apply.

Third, the EBA should put in place internal procedures so that once it is known that a member of its staff is moving to another job, their access to confidential information is cut off with immediate effect.

The Ombudsman closed the inquiry after the EBA accepted her recommendations and adopted measures to implement them.

The Ombudsman is confident that the policies the EBA has introduced will help it avoid damaging revolving door moves in the future. Other EU institutions and agencies should draw on these new EBA safeguards when revising their own rules.

 

The Ombudsman received a complaint about the decision of the European Banking Authority (EBA) to allow its Executive Director to take up a position as CEO of an association representing banks, the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME).

The Ombudsman conducted an inquiry, inspected the relevant EBA documents and found maladministration, first, in that the EBA should have forbidden the job move. While the EBA adopted extensive restrictions, these are not sufficient when measured against the risks involved. The Ombudsman considers that if this move does not justify the application of the option, set out in the Staff Regulations, to forbid a staff member accepting a job offer, no move would.

Second, there was maladministration in that the EBA did not, once notified of the planned move, immediately withdraw its Executive Director’s access to confidential information.

The Ombudsman issues three recommendations to the EBA, which should (i) where necessary in future, invoke the option of forbidding its senior staff from taking up certain positions after their term-of-office. Any such prohibition should be time-limited, for example, for two years; (ii) set out criteria for when it will forbid such moves in future so as to give clarity to senior staff. Applicants for senior EBA posts should be informed of the criteria when they apply; and (iii) put in place internal procedures so that once it is known that a member of its staff is moving to another job, their access to confidential information is cut off with immediate effect.

The EBA should reply to these recommendations within three months.

 

Izskatāmā lieta attiecās uz jautājumu par to, vai Eiropas Komisija ir ieviesusi procesus, ar ko nodrošina, ka zinātniskajiem ekspertiem, kuri to konsultē, nav nekāda interešu konflikta.

Sūdzības iesniedzējs – pilsoniskās sabiedrības organizācija – pauda bažas par to zinātnisko ekspertu neatkarību, kuri palīdzēja sagatavot konsultatīvo ziņojumu par augu aizsardzības līdzekļiem (plašāk zināmi kā pesticīdi).

Ombude secināja, ka Komisija ir ieviesusi sistēmas ekspertu neatkarības novērtēšanai. Tomēr, lai uzlabotu minētās sistēmas, viņa lūdza Komisiju nodrošināt, ka visas attiecīgās finanšu intereses tiek iekļautas ekspertu interešu deklarācijās un minētās deklarācijas tiek novērtētas un publicētas. Viņa slēdza lietu, sniedzot divus minētos ieteikumus uzlabojumu veikšanai.

Lieta skāra nevalstiskas organizācijas pieprasījumu ES Padomes Ģenerālsekretariātam (PĢS) publiskot informāciju par visām sanāksmēm, kas notikušas starp interešu pārstāvjiem un Eiropadomes priekšsēdētāju, kā arī par viņa privātā biroja (kabineta) pārstāvjiem.

Padomes Ģenerālsekretariāts atbildēja sūdzības iesniedzējam, ka, neraugoties uz to, ka tai nav juridiska pienākuma reģistrēt priekšsēdētāja vai kabineta locekļu sanāksmes ar ārējām ieinteresētajām personām, tā ir apņēmusies strukturēti un proaktīvi publicēt attiecīgo informāciju par sanāksmēm.

Izmeklēšanas laikā ombude konstatēja, ka informācija par sanāksmēm, kuras rīko Eiropadomes priekšsēdētājs Tusks ar interešu pārstāvjiem, tiek publiskota. Tomēr nav pieejama informācija par sanāksmēm, kas, iespējams, notiek starp priekšsēdētāja kabineta locekļiem un interešu pārstāvjiem.

Ombude slēdza izmeklēšanu, sniedzot vairākus ieteikumus PĢS publiskotās informācijas uzlabošanai.

The case concerned the event "No Child Left Behind: Families not institutions - EU external action championing children's rights" which was co-organised by an NGO and the European Commission. Access to the event was by invitation only. The complainant was concerned that the Commission had decided not to web stream the event.

The Commission based its decision on the protection of privacy of the young people, including children, who participated in the event.

The Ombudsman found that the Commission acted reasonably and found no maladministration in this case.