Strategic initiatives
The Ombudsman can address potential systemic problems with the EU’s administration without necessarily opening an inquiry, such as by seeking clarifications about or raising an issue directly with the institution concerned.
Showing 1 - 10 of 55 results
How the European Commission ensures that the revised rules governing the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) for EU staff guarantee comprehensive coverage for disability-related health needs
Strategic Initiative SI/2/2024/AML - Latest document added: Correspondence - Friday | 14 February 2025
As a follow up to a previous inquiry, the Ombudsman wrote to the European Commission to clarify how the new internal rules ('general implementing provisions') governing the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) for EU staff guarantee comprehensive coverage for disability-related health needs.
The time taken by the European Commission to deal with complaints about infringements of EU law and how it communicates about infringement procedures
Strategic Initiative SI/6/2024/JN - Latest document added: Correspondence - Friday | 13 December 2024
This strategic initiative aimed to assess how the European Commission communicates with individuals who submit complaints about infringements of EU law, how the Commission keeps the broader public informed about its work in this area, and the time taken by the Commission to deal with infringement cases. A year on from the publication of a ‘stocktaking report’ on the Commission’s working methods in...
How the European Commission decides on and uses artificial intelligence
Strategic Initiative SI/4/2024/MIK - Latest document added: Correspondence - Tuesday | 10 December 2024
The Ombudsman launched a strategic initiative to ensure that there is sufficient transparency regarding how the European Commission is developing and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced information technologies. The initiative also aimed to raise awareness about the need to ensure accountability in how decisions to introduce such technologies are taken and subsequently implem...
The European Commission’s guidance for outgoing commissioners
Strategic Initiative SI/1/2024/KR - Latest document added: Correspondence - Friday | 25 October 2024
Following reports that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) had closed an investigation into a potential breach of ethics rules by a former commissioner in relation to post-mandate activities with transport platform Uber, the Ombudsman wrote to the European Commission to seek clarifications. In particular, the Ombudsman noted that the Commission's Ethics Committee had previously raised concerns a...
How the European Commission handles revolving door moves by senior staff members from its Directorate-General for Competition to corporate law firms
Strategic Initiative SI/5/2024/KR - Latest document added: Correspondence - Thursday | 26 September 2024
Following revelations that a senior management member from the European Commission's Director-General for Competition had taken up a post with a corporate law firm, the European Ombudsman wrote to the Commission President urging the Commission to make public the restrictions it put in place to mitigate any risk of conflict of interest or reputational damage in relation to the move.
Corporate sponsorship of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Strategic Initiative SI/3/2024/MIG - Latest document added: Correspondence - Wednesday | 11 September 2024
Following a previous inquiry, which found that the Council of the EU should address the risks resulting from the corporate sponsorship of the rotating Council presidencies, the Ombudsman launched an initiative to assess the progress made in the area. The initiative follows concerns about ongoing sponsorship of presidencies accepted by Member State governments, in spite of guidelines issued by the ...
The European Commission and transparency in the context of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC)
Strategic Initiative SI/4/2023/KR - Latest document added: Correspondence - Wednesday | 26 June 2024
The Ombudsman launched a strategic initiative looking into how the European Commission ensures the transparency of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), which is as a forum for the EU and the US to coordinate approaches to trade, economic, and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations.
How the European Commission intends to guarantee respect for human rights in the context of the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding
Strategic Initiative SI/5/2023/MHZ - Latest document added: Correspondence - Tuesday | 05 March 2024
The Ombudsman carried out an initiative to look into how the European Commission intends to guarantee respect for human rights in the context of the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), notably given the absence of a prior human rights impact assessment and the potential implications on 'migration and mobility'.
How the EU Asylum Agency complies with its fundamental rights obligations and ensures accountability for potential fundamental rights violations
Strategic Initiative SI/4/2022/MHZ - Latest document added: Correspondence - Monday | 08 January 2024
The Ombudsman launched an initiative to look into how the European Union Asylum Agency complies with its fundamental rights obligations and ensures accountability for potential fundamental rights violations. The Asylum Agency replaced the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in January 2022, taking on expanded mandate, as set out in its founding regulation. In the context of this new mandate, the...
How the European Commission deals with the provision by third parties of travel expenses and hospitality in the context of business trips
Strategic Initiative SI/2/2023/KR - Latest document added: Correspondence - Tuesday | 12 December 2023
The Ombudsman carried out a strategic initiative following revelations that, in the context of business trips to a non-EU country, the expenses of a director-general at the European Commission were covered by that country’s government and national airline. The Ombudsman sought to determine the extent of this practice and how the Commission checks that there are no conflicts of interest when third ...