European Ombudsman Press release No. 6/2013 European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, announces his retirement 14 March 2013 The European The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Mr Diamandouros was born on 25 June 1942 in Ombudsman Diamandouros, has informed the President of Athens, Greece. After a long career as a professor investigates complaints about maladministration the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, of his of political science in the United States and in the EU institutions intention to retire on 1 October 2013. Greece, he became the first National Ombudsman and bodies. Any EU of Greece in 1998. In January 2003, the European citizen, resident, or an enterprise or association Parliament elected him to the post of European in a Member State, In a letter to Mr Schulz, dated 13 March, Ombudsman. Parliament renewed his mandate in can lodge a complaint Mr Diamandouros explained that by the end of 2005 and 2010. with the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman offers March 2013 he will have completed ten years in a fast, flexible and office as European Ombudsman. He stated that The Ombudsman’s letter to President Schulz is free means of solving “the time has come for me to look beyond my available at: problems with the EU administration. public life at the European Union level, and to http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/resources/ seek to resume my erstwhile role as a scholar and otherdocument.faces/en/49549/html.bookmark For more information: student of, rather than as an actor in, public life, www.ombudsman. europa.eu and as an active private citizen.” Contact: Mr Diamandouros thanked Mr Schulz as well as Gundi Gadesmann, Media and External his predecessors for the trust, confidence, and Relations Officer broad support that the European Parliament and, particularly, its Committee on Petitions, have T. +32 2 284 26 09 granted him in his role as guardian of good gundi.gadesmann@ administration, and in his efforts to promote ombudsman.europa.eu accountability, transparency, and a culture of Twitter: service in the EU administration. He invited the @GundiGadesmann President to launch the procedure for the election, @EUombudsman by the Members of the European Parliament, of a new European Ombudsman..