Mr David-Maria Sassoli President European Parliament

 

Dear Mr President,

Transparency is a core priority that guides my work and that of my Office. Ensuring that individuals can exercise the right of public access to documents is essential for enhancing transparency, thereby strengthening public trust in the EU. To this end, it is crucial that the EU administration has comprehensive and user-friendly rules and practices in place to give effect to this right.

Over the years, my Office has dealt with many complaints concerning public access. Our experience in this field allowed us to identify areas in the EU administration where improvements could be made. Drawing on this, I have produced a short guide for the EU administration, setting out policies and practices to give effect to this important right. This guide covers what I consider to be good administrative practice in this area, and my Office will draw on it in dealing with complaints concerning access to documents.

I would encourage you to share this guide with your staff. By applying these practices and policies, EU institutions can help to avoid maladministration and to create a space and means for citizens to best exercise this right. In applying this guide, I encourage you also to take into account my practical recommendations for the EU administration on the use of EU languages in communicating with the public^[1].

Please note that I am writing to the heads of all EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies to share the guide with them.

May I also take the opportunity to share information about the conference “Access to EU documents: what next?” that I am hosting on 15 November 2021 in Brussels. The programme and information on how to register for the conference are available on my Office’s website^[2].

Yours sincerely,

Emily O'Reilly
European Ombudsman

Strasbourg, 27/10/2021

 

 

ANNEX:

A short guide for the EU administration on policies and practices to give effect to the right of public access to documents (SI/7/2021/DL)

 

The same letter has been sent to the following institutions and agencies:

European Commission

EEAS

European Parliament

The Council of the EU

The European Council

Court of Justice of the EU

Court of Auditors

European Economic and Social Committee

Committee of the Regions

European Central Bank

European Investment Fund

European Investment Bank

European Data Protection Board

European Data Protection Supervisor

European Labour Authority

EPSO

EPPO

EUSA

EULEX Kosovo

Innovative Medicines Initiatives (IMI)

European Union Intellectual Propery Office (EUIPO)

OLAF

Publications Office

EU agency for the Cooperation of Energy regulators (ACER)

Agency for Support to BEREC

Single Resolution Board

Translation Centre for bodies of the EU

CEDEFOP

European Union Agency for Law Enforcement training (CEPOL)

Community plant variety office (CPVO)

European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)

European Asylum Support Office (EASO)

European Banking Authority (EBA)

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

European CHemcials Agency (ECHA)

European Environemnt Agency (EEA)

European Agency for operational managament of large-scale information systems (EU-lisa)

European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA)

Euroepan Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

European Institute for General Equality (EIGE)

European Insurance and occupational pensiosn authiorty (EIOPA)

Euroepan Medicines Agency (EMA)

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug addiction (EMCDDA)

European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)

European Agency for Cibersecurity (ENISA)

Euroepan securities and markets authority (ESMA)

European training foundation (ETF)

European Union agency for railways (ERA)

Eurofound

The EU agency for criminal justice cooperation (Eurojust-

Europol

European healht and digital executive agency (hadea)

European Union agency for fundamental rights (FRA)

European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex)

European Union Agency for the Spacye Programme

Eurpean Agency for Safety and Health at Work (osha)

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Fusion for Energy (F4E)

Euratom Supply Agency (ESA)

Euroepan Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)

European Reserach Exectuive Agency (REA)

European Cliamte, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA)

European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA)

European Defence Agency (EDA)

European Union Institute for Security Studies (ISS)

European Union Satellite Centre (SATCEN)

Bio-based industries joint undertaking (BBI)

Clean sky joint undertaking

Computer emergency response team (CERT_EU)

 

 

[1] https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/correspondence/en/129519.

[2] https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/event/en/1417.