The campaign is directed to NGO’s, associations, companies, regional offices, schools and universities. The Ombudsman information sheet explains to these organisations how the Ombudsman can help settle problems with the EU administration, giving the following information:
What can you complain about?
Late payment
Contractual disputes
Problems with calls for tender
Refusal of access to documents
Unnecessary delay
Violation of fundamental rights
What can you not complain about?
Complaints against national, regional or local authorities in the Member States
The activities of national courts or ombudsmen
Complaints against businesses or private individuals
Why complain?
The Ombudsman ensures that it offers free, fast and flexible services and that, sometimes a telephone call from the Ombudsman’s services to the Institution concerned is enough to solve the problem.
According to the Ombudsman, there is a lack of transparency in the decisions made in Brussels. The difficulties stem from limited access to information, as member states are allowed to veto public access to documents at EU level. In addiction, EU institutions can at the moment take up to three months for an initial response to the Ombudsman.
These facts have come to light in a survey conducted by the EU Commission as part of Green Paper on possibilities to boost public scrutiny of EU documents.
As a result, the Ombudsman is now calling for greater access to EU documents and cutting the time it takes for EU institutions to reply to complaints.
For further information:
An information sheet for businesses and organisations
Ombudsman contact data
