All strategic inquiries

In the context of wider strategic work on the response of the EU administration during the COVID-19 crisis, the Ombudsman has also been examining the work of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). This included a particular focus on how the ECDC has been gathering and assessing the data that underpins its work. The Ombudsman's inquiry highlighted shortcomings in how the dat...

As a follow-up to her previous inquiry on how the European Commission manages ‘revolving doors’, the Ombudsman has launched an own-initiative inquiry into how the Commission handles revolving doors situations of staff members who apply for unpaid leave to take up an outside activity and (senior) managers who apply for approval to take up an activity after leaving the Commission. The inquiry aims t...

The Ombudsman opened an own-initiative inquiry to look into how the European Commission monitors that European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds are used to promote the right of persons with disabilities and older persons to independent living. As a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), the EU is committed to promoting the right to independent liv...

The Ombudsman opened an inquiry on her own initiative into the European Border and Coast Guard Agency's (Frontex) Complaints Mechanism for those who believe their fundamental rights have been breached in the context of a Frontex operation. The Ombudsman sent a series of questions to Frontex, relating to the effectiveness and transparency of the Complaints Mechanism, and the role of the 'fundamenta...

In the context of wider strategic work on the response of the EU administration during the COVID-19 crisis, the Ombudsman has also been examining the work of the Council of the EU, notably as regards the transparency of its decision making. In particular, the Ombudsman has assessed the decision by the Council to derogate, temporarily, from its Rules of Procedure during the crisis, and the implicat...

2 December 2019 - Euro area Member States have improved public access to decision making following a request by the Ombudsman to Eurogroup President Mário Centeno. Under the changes, the draft agendas of the Eurogroup meetings will be published earlier in advance than previously and the letter summarising the meetings will be more detailed. Also, the dates of the Euro Working Group meetings will b...

Transparency of the bodies involved in preparing Eurogroup meetings.

The Ombudsman in February opened a strategic inquiry into the delay in the European Commission's handling of over 200 proposals to test chemicals to determine potential harm to human reproductive health. The inquiry aims to find out what the Commission is doing to ensure that decisions on these files are taken as quickly as possible. The Ombudsman has asked for a response by 31 May 2016.

26 November 2019 - An Ombudsman inquiry into how the European Medicines Agency (EMA) engages with pharma companies before they apply for market access for their medicines has led to several measures to improve the transparency and objectivity of the process. Working constructively with the Ombudsman, EMA has agreed to introduce a log of the scientific advice concerning medicines in the market appr...