Activities of Nikos PAPPAS related to 2024/2056(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the annual report on the activities of the European Ombudsman in 2023
Amendments (13)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)
Recital Q a (new)
Q a. whereas the European Ombudsman may propose recommendations, suggest remedies and improvement recommendations aimed at resolving various aspects of maladministration;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s publication of a guide to accessing EU documents, which aims to raise citizens’ awareness of their right of access to documents and enable them to scrutinise EU decision-making; Believes that it is essential to continue providing citizens with suitable information on the role and scope of the Ombudsman's activities and its influence on the development of EU institutions;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Endorses the conclusions of the Ombudsman’s special report4 to the European Parliament concerning the time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents and is worried about the Ombudsman’s assessment that these systemic and significant delays in the Commission’s processing of requests for public access to documents amount to maladministration; underlines how important it is that the Commission dedicate more resources to dealing with confirmatory requests under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 and calls on the Commission to correct this situation as a matter of priority and to improve its practice of handling confirmatory requests; notes that where a complaint does not fall within the Ombudsman's remit, the Ombudsman may advise the complainant to refer the matter to another authority or to the Petitions Committee; acknowledges the importance of the timely treatment of access to documents requests by all institutions; reminds the Commission of Parliament’s right to bring action against it before the Court of Justice of the European Union on the grounds of infringement of the Treaties and expects a clear and unequivocal commitment by the new College of Commissioners to remedy this situation; _________________ 4 Special Report of the European Ombudsman in her strategic inquiry concerning the time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents (OI/2/2022/OAM).
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is particularly worried that the Ombudsman found maladministration in the Commission’s refusal to provide access to documents concerning the greenhouse gas emissions of the ceramics industry reported under the EU Emissions Trading System; calls on the Ombudsman to continue raise awareness on the findings of investigations regarding EU and third countries trade negotiations which may lead to an increase in the transparency of EU trade agreements; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to the overriding public interest and to be more mindful of it when assessing the possibility of disclosing documents concerning emissions into the environment;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the Commission’s decision to work with local authorities to draw up a fundamental rights impact assessment of EU-funded migration management facilities in Greece, following an own-initiative inquiry by the Ombudsman into how the Commission ensures respect for fundamental rights and rule of law in these facilities; Underlines that respect for the rule of law is a prerequisite for access to EU funding; considers that this requirement to uphold the rule of law and the European Union's unwavering commitment to its values contribute to strengthening citizens' trust in the Union and attest to the EU's explicit pledge to ensure the quality of democracy throughout its territory;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Strongly supports the Ombudsman’s conclusions that the EU’s ethical and anticorruption rules need to be respected and strengthened by the EU institutions and that Parliament’s implementation of reforms in this area must be properly monitored and enforced at all levels; urges the Ombudsman to pay close attention to direct and indirect lobbying practices in Parliament as well as in the European Commission, that might increase the risk of potential conflicts of interest; invites the Ombudsman, in this context, to suggest improvements to the current Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament regarding integrity and transparency;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Calls on the Ombudsman to exercise stricter supervision over how the Union's funds and budget are expended and to ensure that the EU's interests are not undermined by violations of the rule of law, infringements of EU principles and values, corruption, or conflicts of interest;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15 b. Calls on the Ombudsman to inquire into the potential conflict of interest concerning the portfolios of designated commissioners at the start of each legislative term.
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s decision to open an own-initiative inquiry into the Commission’s practice of inviting only industry representatives to certain workshops on pesticides;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Calls for a Eurobarometer survey to be carried out regarding EU citizens' awareness of the right to submit complaints to the European Ombudsman, in order to gather data that will enable the launch of a robust and accessible awareness-raising campaign; considers that regular EU-wide surveys based on cross-border opinion polls help to raise awareness of citizens' concerns among EU institutions;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses the importance of the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO) and the annual meetings hosted with national and regional ombudsmen through the ENO in further raising awareness of what the European Ombudsman can do for European citizens; encourages the Ombudsman to continue to take part in exchanges of experience and best practice with national ombudsmen through the ENO; takes note of the fact that the 2023 ENO annual conference focused on the protection of human rights and addressing the benefits and potential drawbacks of the use of AI in public administration; Encourages civil society organizations to better utilize the services of the European Ombudsman for scrutiny over the EU institutions, transparency guarantees, and handle cases of non- compliance with Union law;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for the continuation of the close cooperation between the Ombudsman and the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions, which have the shared mission of bringing the EU institutions closer to citizens; expresses its great appreciation for the attention and follow-up that the Ombudsman affords to all complaints, including those falling outside the mandate of the European Ombudsman, such as citizens’ complaints about specific issues related to EU legislation, and supports the Ombudsman in advising those complainants to turn to Parliament’s Committee on Petitions; Encourages the Ombudsman office to continue their efforts to that end, given that cooperation with the Committee on Petitions, timely information and access to documents in all 24 official EU languages may increase the effective participation of citizens and civil society in the decision-making process;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Appreciates and welcomes the efforts of the Ombudsman and her office to constantly improve their internal procedures to ensure that complainants have an optimal experience and that complaints are dealt with as efficiently as possible; welcomes the improvements to the Ombudsman’s online complaint system, which have made it more user- friendly; welcomes the Ombudsman’s multilingual website, which reflects the Ombudsman’s commitment to offer assistance in the 24 official languages of the EU; Emphasises the significance of guaranteeing full access for disabled persons to the whole range of resources provided by the EU to its citizens, especially through systematic translation and interpretation services offered for all official languages, including sign language;