The Operational Effectiveness Of The European Ombudsman

Abstract

The European Ombudsman, which constitutes one of the building blocks of the democratic governance structure of the European Union, was created with a view to protect fundamental rights and freedoms and ensure the settlement of good administration in the Union institutions and bodies. Established as an institution bearing the role of a mediator, the European Ombudsman has been expected to promote the relationship between the Union and its citizens. In case of any dispute between the citizens and the institutions and bodies of the Union, its primary concern is to resolve it. This paper investigates how efficient the European Ombudsman operates in practice in dispute resolution. The operational efficiency of the institution in question will be evaluated in the light of data included in the the last five-year annual reports of the institution. Based on the findings, this study will also seek an answer to the question how the European Ombudsman plays a role in achieving those aforesaid goals in the administrative domain of the Union.

Keywords

• European Union, European Ombudsman, Good Administration, Operational Efficiency, Dispute Resolution.

References

1. Baviera, S.(2005). “Parallel Functions and Co-operation: The European Parliament's Committee on Petitions and the European Ombudsman", in: The European Ombudsman Origins, Establisment, Evolution, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, pp. 126-142.
2. Biering, P. (2005). “The Danish Proposal to the Intergovernmental Conference on Political Union”, in: The European Ombudsman Origins, Establisment, Evolution, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, pp. 38-51.
3. Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000).Official Journal of the European Communities,C 364, 18 December 2000, pp. 1-22, Retrieved from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf
4. Consolidated Versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (2012). Official Journal of the European Communities, C 326, 26 October lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2012:326:FULL:EN:PDF pp. 390,Retrieved from http://eur
5. EO (1995). EO Annual Report 1995, Luxembourg: The EU Publications Office, Retrieved from http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/activities/annualreports.faces
6. EO (2013a). EO Annual Report 2012, Luxembourg: The EU Publications Office, Retrieved from http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/activities/annualreports.faces
7. EO (2013b). Putting it Right? How the EU Institutions Responded to the Ombudsman in , http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/cases/followups.faces The EU Publications Office Retrieved from EO Annual Reports (2008-2012). Retrieved from http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/activities/annualreports.faces
8. European Ombudsman Decision of 8 July 2002 Adopting Implementing Provisionsand amended by decisions of the Ombudsman of 5 April 2004 and 3 December 2008, Retrieved from http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/resources/provisions.faces

9. European Parliament Decision of 9 March 1994 the on the Regulations and General Conditions Governing the Performance of the Ombudsman’s Duties(Official Journalof the European Communities, L 113, 4 May 1994) and amended by its decisions of 14 March 2002 (Official Journalof the European Communities, L 92, 9 April 2002) and 18 June 2008 (Official Journalof the European Communities, L 189, 17 July 2008), pp. 15- , Retrieved from http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/resources/statute.faces
10. European Parliament Resolution of 11 May 1979on the Appointment of a Community Ombudsman, Official Journalof the European Communities, C 140, 5 June 1979, pp. 154, content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:JOC_1979_140_R_0095_01&from=EN from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal
11. European Parliament Resolution of 6 September 2001 (A5-0245/2001) on the European Ombudsman's Special Report to the European Parliament following the own-initiative inquiry into the existence and public accessibility, in the different Community institutions and bodies, of a Code of Good Administrative Behaviour (C5-0438/2000/2212 (COS), Official Journalof the European Communities, C 72 E, 21 March , content/en/ALL/?uri=OJ:C:2002:072E:TOC Retrieved from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal
12. Gradin, A. &Jacobsson, R. (2005). "Safeguarding the Rights of European Citizens: The European Commission Working with the European Ombudsman", in: The European Ombudsman Origins, Establisment, Evolution, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, pp. 162-166.
13. Harden, I. (2000). “When Europeans Complain – The Work of the European Ombudsman” in A. Dashwood, J. Spencer, A. Word and C. Hillion (ed.), The Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies, Vol. 3, The Center for European Legal Studies, Cambridge: Hart Publishing, pp. 199-238
14. Heede, K. (1997). “Enhancing the Accountability of Community Institutions and Bodies: The Role of the European Ombudsman” European Public Law, Vol. 3, Iss. 4, pp. 587–605
15. Kofler, B. (2008). "European Union" in: G.Kucsko-Stadlmayer (ed.) European Ombudsman Institutions: A Comparative Legal Analysis Regarding the Multifaceted Realisation of an Idea,Austria: Springer, pp. 171-178.
16. Magnette, P. (2005). “The European Ombudsman Protecting Citizen’s Rights and Strengthening Parliamentary Scrutiny”, in: The European Ombudsman Origins, Establisment, Evolution, Luxembourg:Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, pp. 106-125.
17. Maria, A. & Pino, M. (2011). "The European Ombudsman in the Framework of the European Union", Revista Chilena de Derecho, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 421 - 455.
18. McNaughton, N. (2003).Understanding British and European Political Issues, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
19. Mokra, L. (2008). “The European Ombudsman”, in: V. Kunová, L. Mokra, M. Siman (ed.), More Effectiveness of the Decision-Making Processes in the European Union, Bratislava
20. Perillo, E. (2005). “The Process of Drafting the European Ombudsman's Statute”, in: The European Ombudsman Origins, Establisment, Evolution, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, pp. 52-82.
21. Perry, R. (2005). "Special Reports Submitted by the European Ombudsman to the European Parliament", in: The European Ombudsman Origins, Establisment, Evolution, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, pp. 185-190
22. Peters, A. (2005). "The European Ombudsman and the European Constitution",Common Market Law Review 42: Kluwer Law International, pp. 697-743.
23. Peterson, J. &Shackleton, M. (eds) (2002). The Institutions of the European Union, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
24. Serzhanova, V. (2011). “Ombudsman of the European Union”, Annals of University of Oradea, Series: International Relations and European Studies, Volume: 3, pp. 81-85
25. Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty of European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community. (2007).Official Journalof the European Communities, C 306, lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:306:FULL:EN:PDF , pp. 271,Retrieved fromhttp://eur
26. Treaty on European Union. (1992).Official Journalof the European Communities, C 191,29 July fromhttp://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/legal/pdf/maastricht_en.pdf pp. 110, Retrieved
27. Vogiatzis, N. (2014). “Communicating the European Ombudsman's Mandate: An Overview of the Annual Reports”, Journal of Contemporary European Research, Vol. 10, Iss. 1. pp. 105-123.