11 Amendments of Antoni COMÍN I OLIVERES related to 2022/2141(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the European Ombudsman should play a key role in the development of the EU rule of law, especially regarding the accountability of EU institutions and the development of the right to good administration;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas in 2021 the Ombudsman opened 338 inquiries, of which 332 were complaint-based and 6 own-initiative, and closed 305 inquiries (300 complaint-based and 5 own-initiative); whereas the enquiries help focus public attention on problems, which can help to promote change; whereas the greater part of the inquiries concerned the Commission (208 inquiries or 61.5 %); whereas the next largest numbers concerned the European External Action Service (EEAS) (16 inquiries or 4.7 %), Parliament (13 inquiries or 3.8 %), the European Personnel Selection Office (13 inquiries or 3.8 %), the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) (11 inquiries or 3.3 %), the European Medicines Agency (8 inquiries or 2.4 %), the Council of the European Union (7 inquiries or 2.1 %), the European Anti- Fraud Office (6 inquiries or 1.8 %), and other institutions (34 inquiries or 10.1 %);
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly believes that citizens’ access to all documents of the European institutions is the basis of a participatory democracy and helps improve public awareness of and support for the EU institutions; welcomes the Ombudsman’s efforts to improve public participation in and the legitimacy of the EU decision- making process; points out that the right to refer a matter to the Ombudsman increases citizens’ engagement with and trust in the EU institutions, as it promotes transparency and the good administration of the EU institutions and bodies;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers it very important to continue to properly inform EU citizens about the Ombudsman’s role and the scope of the activities carried out by the Ombudsman, and of the Ombudsman’s influence on the development of the EU institutions; underlines that wider access to such documents is crucial to ensure that EU citizens can scrutinise and be aware of the information forming the basis for legislative action and, thus, is a precondition for the effective exercise of citizens’ democratic rights;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Highlights that 2021 marked the twentieth anniversary of the Transparency Regulation coming into force; welcomes the special focus of the Ombudsman’s Office on this matter throughout the year 2021; notes with concern that the current legislation on public access to EU documents is severely obsolete due to technological advances in access to documentation and new means of communication and different ways of recording, managing and storing information in recent decades; considers it a priority to revise the Transparency Regulation in order to place the EU at the forefront of public access to EU documents and democratic transparency for citizens; welcomes the Ombudsman’s input in relation to the Transparency Regulation and invites the Commission, the Council and the relevant committee in Parliament to take the initiative on its revision;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Highlights that on May 18, 2021, after several accusations of lack of transparency in the EU institutions, the European Ombudsman launched a wide- ranging inquiry into the European Commission's handling of staff revolving door cases; recalls that good management of the revolving doors issue is essential to maintain confidence in the EU institutions; underlines that the Ombudsman has played an active role in the revolving door phenomenon since former Commission President José Manuel Barroso became the chairman of Goldman Sachs in 2015; underlines that the existing rules on revolving doors, apart from not being applied properly, are not sufficient to protect the integrity and independence of the EU institutions; calls on the Commission to sharpen the rules concerning revolving doors and conflict of interest and ensure that strong rules are implemented across all EU institutions;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes note of the fact that the Commission, as stated by Vice-President Věra Jourová during the public conference ‘Access to EU documents: what next?’, stands ready to continue the legislative work, in partnership with the co-legislators, on the two proposals to update the Transparency Regulation on access to documents, and to withdraw the proposals with a view to tabling an updated one; calls for an urgent reform to ensure that the EU’ access to documents rules are brought into line with the digital age;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its call for the EU institutions to ensure that informal trilogues are more transparent by holding the meetings in public; reiterates its call also to publish documentation including calendars, agendas, minutes, documents examined, amendments, decisions taken, information on Member State delegations and their positions and minutes, and lists of the political decision-makers involved in every procedure, in a standardised and easily accessible online environment, by default and without prejudice to the exemptions listed in Article 4(1) of the Transparency Regulation;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Underlines the specific role and influences of Ombudsman in particular policy fields, including migration law, criminal justice and digital technologies regulation; calls for strengthening the role of Ombudsman in monitoring the use of AI by EU public authorities, especially with the proposal for an EU AI Act, as well as its contribution to transparency in this context;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Points out that, following the inquiry into access to documents held by the Council relating to the process for adopting the annual regulation on total allowable catches of certain fish stocks in the EU, the Ombudsman concluded that the Council fails to record the positions of Member State governments as expressed in Council ‘preparatory bodies’ or in meetings of the ministers, failed to provide timely access to legislative documents proactively and upon request, and has in place an incomplete register of documents; regrets that the Council did not follow her recommendation;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Encourages the Ombudsman to continue her collaboration with national ombudsmen through the ENOand regional ombudsmen and strengthened cooperation amongst the different actors of the ENO that needs to ensure a high level of decision consistency; believes it necessary to step up interactions and exchanges of best practices with and between national and regional ombudsmen and the European Ombudsman to ensure that citizens are better informed about their rights and have better guidance when making complaints;