ISSN 1680-3809 THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 2005 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS 1995-2005 EN THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 2005 kg606791inside_EN.indd 3 3/07/06 15:50:45 © The European Ombudsman 2006 All rights reserved. Reproduction for educational and non-commercial purposes is permitt ed provided that the source is acknowledged. All photographs, excluding those on the cover and unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of the European Ombudsman. The full text of the report is published on the internet at: htt p://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/report/en/default.htm Printed in Belgium PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER kg606791inside_EN.indd 4 3/07/06 15:50:45 THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 2005 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS 1995-2005 kg606791inside_EN.indd 5 3/07/06 15:50:45 kg606791inside_EN.indd 6 3/07/06 15:50:45 T HE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN P. N IKIFOROS DIAMANDOUROS Mr Josep BORRELL FONTELLES Strasbourg, 13 March 2006 President European Parliament Rue Wiertz B-1047 Brussels Belgique 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 2005. Yours sincerely, s 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] kg606791inside_EN.indd 7 3/07/06 15:50:45 kg606791inside_EN.indd 8 3/07/06 15:50:46 ANNUAL REPORT 2005 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 17 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 23 2 COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES 37 2.1 THE LEGAL BASIS OF THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK 37 2.2 THE MANDATE OF THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN 37 2.2.1 Unauthorised complaints 38 2.2.2 Community institutions and bodies 38 2.2.3 “Maladministration” 39 2.2.4 The European Code of Good Administrative Behaviour 40 2.3 ADMISSIBILITY AND GROUNDS FOR INQUIRIES 41 2.4 ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS EXAMINED IN 2005 42 2.5 TRANSFERS AND ADVICE 42 2.6 THE OMBUDSMAN’S PROCEDURES 44 2.6.1 Starting an inquiry 44 2.6.2 Fair procedure 45 2.6.3 Inspection of the fi les and hearing of witnesses 45 2.6.4 Open procedure 46 2.7 THE OUTCOMES OF INQUIRIES 46 2.7.1 No maladministration 46 2.7.2 Cases sett led by the institution and friendly solutions 46 2.7.3 Critical remarks and draft recommendations 47 2.7.4 Special reports to the European Parliament 48 2.8 DECISIONS CLOSING CASES IN 2005 48 2.8.1 Openness, public access and the protection of personal data 48 2.8.2 The Commission as guardian of the Treaty 51 9 kg606791inside_EN.indd 9 3/07/06 15:50:46 ANNUAL REPORT 2005 CONTENTS 2.8.3 Tenders, contracts and grants 52 2.8.4 Personnel matt ers 54 2.8.5 Other matt ers 55 3 DECISIONS FOLLOWING AN INQUIRY 59 3.1 CASES WHERE NO MALADMINISTRATION WAS FOUND 59 3.1.1 The European Commission 59 FAILURE TO ACT ON A COMPLAINT ABOUT DISCRIMINATION ON GROUNDS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION ..........................................................59 TERMINATION OF A CONTRACT .....................................................................................................................................................................................................60 USE OF EU FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ..............................................................................................................................................................................................61 ARTICLE 226 COMPLAINT RELATING TO FOOD LAW ...............................................................................................................................................................61 ALLEGEDLY DISCRIMINATORY JOB ADVERTISEMENTS ...........................................................................................................................................................62 MANAGEMENT OF EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS ..................................................................................................................................63 EVALUATION OF A PROJECT PROPOSAL (1) .................................................................................................................................................................................64 HANDLING OF AN ARTICLE 226 COMPLAINT ............................................................................................................................................................................65 EVALUATION OF A PROJECT PROPOSAL (2) .................................................................................................................................................................................65 APPLICATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CLAUSE IN THE CO-OPERATION AGREEMENT WITH VIETNAM ............................................................66 CONSULTATION ON THE FUTURE OF THE STRUCTURAL FUNDS ........................................................................................................................................67 THE EUROPEAN EMERGENCY CALL NUMBER 112 ....................................................................................................................................................................67 PHASING OUT OF LANGUAGE SECTIONS IN A EUROPEAN SCHOOL .................................................................................................................................68 ALLEGED IMPROPER CONTACTS DURING A TENDER PROCEDURE ....................................................................................................................................69 ONLINE AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS ......................................................................................................................................................................................69 ACCESS TO A MISSION REPORT IN THE FRAMEWORK OF AN ARTICLE 228 PROCEDURE ............................................................................................70 REPLACEMENT OF PROJECT DIRECTOR IN HONDURAS .........................................................................................................................................................71 3.1.2 The European Commission and the Council of the European Union 72 ALLEGED LACK OF PARKING SPACES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE NEAR COMMISSION AND COUNCIL BUILDINGS ...............................................72 3.1.3 The European Personnel Selection Offi ce (EPSO) 73 CANDIDATES’ ACCESS TO EVALUATION CRITERIA ..................................................................................................................................................................73 ADMISSION TO SELECTION TESTS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................74 3.1.4 The European Central Bank 74 INFORMATION CONCERNING A POSSIBLE INTERVENTION BY THE ECB ..........................................................................................................................74 3.2 CASES SETTLED BY THE INSTITUTION 75 3.2.1 The European Parliament 75 TRANSFER OF PENSION RIGHTS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................75 3.2.2 The Council of the European Union 76 TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT AT EU POLICE MISSION.............................................................................................................................76 3.2.3 The European Commission 77 UNJUSTIFIED DELAY AND FAILURE TO REPLY TO PUBLIC ACCESS REQUEST ..................................................................................................................77 REFUSAL OF A REQUEST FOR ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS ..........................................................................................................................................................77 REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION EXPENSES ...................................................................................................................................78 REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES .....................................................................................................................................................................................78 ALLEGED LATE PAYMENTS TO COMMISSION EVALUATORS .................................................................................................................................................78 10 kg606791inside_EN.indd 10 3/07/06 15:50:46 ANNUAL REPORT 2005 CONTENTS 3.3 FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS ACHIEVED BY THE OMBUDSMAN 79 3.3.1 The European Parliament 79 ACCESS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S PREMISES ..........................................................................................................................................................79 REIMBURSEMENT OF LEGAL COSTS ...............................................................................................................................................................................................80 PROVISION OF INFORMATION IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES DURING AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN ...........................................................................81 3.3.2 The European Commission 81 TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AS A “CALL CENTRE” OPERATOR .................................................................................................................................81