THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 2006 EN THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN _________________________ _______________________ P. NIKIFOROS DIAMANDOUROS Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert PÖTTERING MEP President European Parliament Rue Wiertz 1047 Brussels BELGIQUE Strasbourg, 12 March 2007 Mr President, In accordance with Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and Article 3(8) of the Decision of the European Parliament on the Regulations and General Conditions Governing the Performance of the Ombudsman's Duties, I hereby present my Report for the year 2006. Yours sincerely, P. Nikiforos DIAMANDOUROS The European Ombudsman 1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman – B.P. 403 – F-67001 STRASBOURG Cedex : +33 (0)3.88.17.23.13 – Fax : +33 (0)3.88.17.90.62 http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu – [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................7 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..........................................................................13 2 COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES.............................................................31 2.1 THE LEGAL BASIS OF THE OMBUDSMAN'S WORK ............................................33 2.2 THE MANDATE OF THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN ............................................33 2.2.1 Complaints and own-initiative inquiries ..............................................................................34 2.2.2 Community institutions and bodies......................................................................................34 2.2.3 "Maladministration".............................................................................................................35 2.2.4 The European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour.....................................................37 2.3 ADMISSIBILITY AND GROUNDS FOR INQUIRIES ................................................37 2.4 ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS EXAMINED IN 2006 .................................................38 2.5 TRANSFERS AND ADVICE ...........................................................................................39 2.6 THE OMBUDSMAN'S PROCEDURES .........................................................................42 2.6.1 Starting an inquiry................................................................................................................42 2.6.2 Fair procedure ......................................................................................................................42 2.6.3 Inspection of the files and hearing of witnesses...................................................................43 2.6.4 Open procedure....................................................................................................................43 2.7 THE OUTCOMES OF INQUIRIES ................................................................................43 2.7.1 No maladministration...........................................................................................................44 2.7.2 Cases settled by the institution and friendly solutions .........................................................44 2.7.3 Critical remarks and draft recommendations .......................................................................44 2.7.4 Special reports to the European Parliament .........................................................................45 2.8 DECISIONS CLOSING CASES IN 2006........................................................................46 2.8.1 Openness, public access and the protection of personal data...............................................46 2.8.2 The Commission as guardian of the Treaty .........................................................................48 2.8.3 Tenders, contracts and grants...............................................................................................51 2.8.4 Personnel matters .................................................................................................................52 2.8.5 Other matters........................................................................................................................54 3 DECISIONS FOLLOWING AN INQUIRY..............................................57 3.1 CASES WHERE NO MALADMINISTRATION WAS FOUND..................................59 3.1.1 The European Parliament.....................................................................................................59 FAILURE OF PARLIAMENT TO REQUEST CLARIFICATIONS REGARDING A TENDER SUBMISSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 59 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.1.2 The European Commission..................................................................................................60 DELAY IN DEALING WITH THE MERITS OF AN ARTICLE 226 COMPLAINT............................................. 60 THE COMMISSION'S ASSESSMENT OF THE SPANISH LEGISLATION REGARDING THE BROADCASTING OF BULL FIGHTING SHOWS.............................................................................................60 TERMINATION OF CO-OPERATION BASED ON LONG-STANDING ARRANGEMENTS............................. 62 SELECTION OF EXPERTS UNDER THE SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME ........................................... 62 CANCELLATION OF FUNDING FOR STANDARDISATION WORK .............................................................. 63 ALLEGED VIOLATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS TO A TRANSLATION PROGRAM ......................................................................................................................................................... 64 3.1.3 The Court of Justice of the European Communities ............................................................65 CONTRACT NOTICE FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES.................................................................................... 65 3.1.4 The European Personnel Selection Office ...........................................................................66 ALLEGEDLY INACCURATE EVALUATION OF COMPETITION TESTS........................................................ 66 NON-ADMISSION TO A SELECTION TEST ..................................................................................................... 67 OBLIGATION TO APPLY FOR ONLY ONE OF THREE PARALLEL COMPETITIONS.................................. 68 ASSESSMENT OF A CANDIDATE'S REPLY TO A TEST QUESTION.............................................................. 68 ALLEGEDLY POOR ORGANISATION OF AN OPEN COMPETITION ........................................................... 69 3.1.5 The European Investment Bank...........................................................................................70 REFUSAL TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE FINANCING OF A PROJECT IN A CANDIDATE COUNTRY ................................................................................................................................... 70 3.1.6 The European Anti-Fraud Office .........................................................................................71 ALLEGED FAILURE TO REPLY TO A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION........................................................ 71 3.2 CASES SETTLED BY THE INSTITUTION..................................................................72 3.2.1 The European Parliament.....................................................................................................72 ACCESS TO AN ARTICLE IN THE "EP NEWSHOUND" ................................................................................. 72 3.2.2 The European Commission..................................................................................................72 REFUSAL TO PAY OUTSTANDING SALARY AND INTEREST ....................................................................... 72 REPLY IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE TO A JOB APPLICATION ................................................................. 73 DELAY IN PAYMENT OF A TOWN TWINNING GRANT ................................................................................. 74 3.2.3 The European Commission and the European Environment Agency..................................75 RAPID APOLOGIES FOR ERRORS .................................................................................................................. 75 3.2.4 The Committee of the Regions ............................................................................................75 REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR A JOB INTERVIEW.......................................................... 75 3.3 FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS ACHIEVED BY THE OMBUDSMAN ..............................76 3.3.1 The European Commission..................................................................................................76 INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA PROTECTION DIRECTIVE IN THE CONTEXT OF AN INFRINGEMENT COMPLAINT......................................................................................................................... 76 3.3.2 The European Investment Bank...........................................................................................77 REFUSAL OF ACCESS TO AN AUDIT REPORT — 1 ...................................................................................... 77 3.3.4 The European Aviation Safety Agency................................................................................78 RECOVERY OF INSTALLATION ALLOWANCES PAID DURING A PROBATIONARY PERIOD................... 78 3.4 CASES CLOSED WITH A CRITICAL REMARK BY THE OMBUDSMAN ...........80 3.4.1 The European Parliament.....................................................................................................80