The European Ombudsman
Contents
Who can complain to the Ombudsman?
What is maladministration?
What are the institutions and bodies?
How to complain
How to contact the European Ombudsman
The European Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration
by institutions and bodies of the European
Community.
The Ombudsman cannot deal with complaints concerning national, regional
or local administrations of the Member States.
Who can complain to the Ombudsman?
If you are a citizen of a Member State of the Union or living in a Member
State, you can make a complaint to the European
Ombudsman. Businesses, associations or other bodies with a registered office
in the Union may also complain to the
Ombudsman.
What is maladministration?
Maladministration means poor or failed administration. This occurs if an
institution fails to do something it should have done, if
it does it in the wrong way or if it does something that ought not to be
done. Some examples are:
administrative irregularities
unfairness
discrimination
abuse of power
lack or refusal of information
unnecessary delay
What are the institutions and bodies?
The institutions and bodies of the European Community are, for example:
The European Commission
The Council of the European Union
The European Parliament
The Court of Auditors
The Court of Justice (except in its judicial role)
The Economic and Social Committee
The Committee of the Regions
The European Monetary Institute
The European Central Bank (from 1.1.1999)
The European Investment Bank
How to complain
Write to the Ombudsman in any of the 11 official languages of the Union,
setting out clearly who you are, which institution or
body of the European Community you are complaining against and the grounds
for your complaint.
A complaint must be made within two years of the date when you got to know the facts on which your complaint is based.
You need not be individually affected by the maladministration, but you
must already have contacted the institution or body
concerned, for example by a letter.
The Ombudsman does not deal with matters that are currently before a court or that have already been settled by a court.
The Ombudsman will examine your complaint, and you will be informed of the outcome of his investigation.
A complaint can be made by writing a simple letter to the European Ombudsman
or by using the form enclosed.
How to contact the European Ombudsman
By mail
The European Ombudsman
1 avenue du Président Robert Schuman
B.P. 403
F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex
By telephone
(33) 3 88 17 40 01
By fax
(33) 3 88 17 90 62
By e-mail
euro-ombudsman@europarl.eu.int
Website
http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int
FONTE : http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/media/en/default.htm