THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 2004 EN THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN _________________________ _______________________ P. NIKIFOROS DIAMANDOUROS Mr Josep BORRELL FONTELLES President European Parliament Rue Wiertz 1047 Brussels BELGIQUE Strasbourg, 8 March 2005 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 2004. 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.euro-ombudsman.eu.int – [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 7 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......................................................................... 15 2 COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES............................................................ 29 2.1 THE LEGAL BASIS OF THE OMBUDSMAN'S WORK............................................ 31 2.2 THE MANDATE OF THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN............................................ 31 2.2.1 Unauthorised complaints ..................................................................................................... 32 2.2.2 Community institutions and bodies ..................................................................................... 32 2.2.3 "Maladministration" ............................................................................................................ 33 2.3 ADMISSIBILITY AND GROUNDS FOR INQUIRIES................................................ 35 2.4 ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS EXAMINED IN 2004................................................. 36 2.5 TRANSFERS AND ADVICE ........................................................................................... 37 2.6 THE OMBUDSMAN'S PROCEDURES......................................................................... 38 2.6.1 Starting an inquiry ............................................................................................................... 38 2.6.2 Fair procedure...................................................................................................................... 39 2.6.3 Inspection of the files and hearing of witnesses .................................................................. 39 2.6.4 Open procedure.................................................................................................................... 40 2.7 THE OUTCOMES OF INQUIRIES................................................................................ 40 2.7.1 No maladministration .......................................................................................................... 40 2.7.2 Cases settled by the institution and friendly solutions......................................................... 41 2.7.3 Critical remarks, draft recommendations and special reports.............................................. 41 2.8 DECISIONS CLOSING CASES IN 2004........................................................................ 42 2.8.1 Access to documents and data protection............................................................................ 43 2.8.2 The Commission as "Guardian of the Treaty"..................................................................... 45 2.8.3 Contracts and grants ............................................................................................................46 2.8.4 Recruitment and staff issues ................................................................................................ 47 2.8.5 The Commission's responses to the Ombudsman's inquiries .............................................. 48 3 DECISIONS FOLLOWING AN INQUIRY............................................. 51 3.1 CASES WHERE NO MALADMINISTRATION WAS FOUND ................................. 53 3.1.1 The European Parliament .................................................................................................... 53 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S RULES ON TRAINEESHIPS .............................................................................53 PENSION SCHEME FOR MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT...................................................54 3.1.2 The Council of the European Union.................................................................................... 55 APPOINTMENT OF BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY...................55 ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICE OPINIONS .......................................................................................................56 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.1.3 The European Commission ................................................................................................. 57 EXCLUSION FROM AN INFORMATION SOCIETY PROJECT .......................................................................57 TRANSPOSITION OF INSURANCE DIRECTIVES INTO GREEK LEGISLATION...........................................58 PORTUGUESE LEGISLATION ON BULLFIGHTING......................................................................................60 ACCESS TO A DRAFT STATEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA JOINT COMMITTEE......................................................................................................................................................61 ACCESS TO WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION NEGOTIATION DOCUMENTS............................................62 ACCESS TO A FOOD AND VETERINARY REPORT ON ROMANIA................................................................63 ACCESS TO A EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND MISSION REPORT .....................................................................64 LEONARDO DA VINCI PROGRAMME.............................................................................................................65 SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR A EUROPEAID PROJECT...........................................................................66 ALLEGED IMPROPER HANDLING OF INFRINGEMENT COMPLAINTS.....................................................67 ACCESS TO AN ASSESSMENT OF GERMANY'S BUDGETARY SITUATION .................................................68 3.1.4 The European Personnel Selection Office........................................................................... 69 ALLEGED LACK OF REASONED EXPLANATION IN A SELECTION PROCEDURE....................................69 3.2 CASES SETTLED BY THE INSTITUTION ................................................................. 70 3.2.1 The European Parliament .................................................................................................... 70 SELECTION BOARD DECISION ON AN APPLICATION ................................................................................70 3.2.2 The European Commission ................................................................................................. 70 FAILURE TO PAY FOR SERVICES...................................................................................................................70 FAILURE TO PAY A GRANT .............................................................................................................................71 ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS CONCERNING A RAILWAY PLAN ......................................................................72 LATE PAYMENT FOR SERVICES .....................................................................................................................72 3.2.3 The European Anti-Fraud Office......................................................................................... 73 ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS CONCERNING A NUCLEAR SAFETY CASE ......................................................73 3.3 FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS ACHIEVED BY THE OMBUDSMAN.............................. 74 ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS CONCERNING TRADE NEGOTIATIONS ...........................................................74 ACCESS TO DRIVING TEST RESULTS ............................................................................................................75 3.4 CASES CLOSED WITH A CRITICAL REMARK BY THE OMBUDSMAN .................................................................................................................. 77 3.4.1 The European Parliament .................................................................................................... 77 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RULES ON SMOKING......................................................................................77 3.4.2 The Council of the European Union.................................................................................... 78 ACCESS TO PERSONAL FILES IN AN EARLY RETIREMENT CASE..............................................................78 3.4.3 The European Commission ................................................................................................. 79 LESS FAVOURABLE CLASSIFICATION AS A RESULT OF A DELAY IN RECRUITMENT ...........................79 LACK OF JUSTIFICATION FOR SUSPENSION OF PAYMENTS....................................................................80 REFUSAL TO REIMBURSE SECRETARIAL COSTS.........................................................................................81 FAILURE TO REGISTER ARTICLE 226 COMPLAINTS...................................................................................82 HANDLING OF A COMPLAINT CONCERNING STATE AID..........................................................................83