The Ombudsman has put a series of questions to the European Commission about delays in how it handles complaints alleging infringements of EU law and how it communicates about infringement procedures.

In a letter to the Commission, she noted that the Commission’s online infringements database contains a large number of cases that have been ongoing for a long time and that the public can only obtain a limited amount of information on each case. She also pointed out that she regularly opens inquiries because the Commission has failed to provide regular and timely updates on the status of a case.

The Ombudsman’s questions to the Commission concern the extent to which it has implemented recommendations from its own 2023 stocktaking report on this issue. They include asking the Commission about its plans for overhauling its infringement proceedings website as well as for ensuring complainants are informed about the state of their cases, such as through the possible introduction of a dedicated online portal.

The Ombudsman has also asked the Commission what progress it has made to limit the time it takes to handle infringements and if it could ensure it properly documents its reasoning when it decides to put a case on hold.

The Ombudsman has asked the Commission to reply by 31 October 2024.