Activities of Marian HARKIN related to 2008/2158(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Annual report on the European Ombudsman's activities in 2007 (debate)
Amendments (5)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, originally proclaimed in December 2000, was signed on 12 December 2007, and reconfirmed by the Presidents of Parliament, of the Commission and of the Council, and whereas the commitment to a legally binding Charter, contained in the Treaty of Lisbon, reflects a growing awareness that citizens should be placed at the centre of Europe's concera transparent, accessible and contactable Europe which is aware of the concerns of its citizens,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that the term 'maladministration by the European Union' should be broadly interpreted so as to include not only unlawful administrative acts or infringements of binding legal rules or, norms, principles and customary law within the state but also, for example, cases where the administrative authorities have been sloppy, negligent in their duty to their citizens or lacking in transparency or have infringed other principles of good administration;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regards the role of the Ombudsman in enhancing openness and accountability in the decision-making processes and administration of the European Union as an essential contribution towards a Union in which decisions are taken 'as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen', as provided for in Article 1(2) of the Treaty on European Union, in collaboration with the ombudsman authorities within each Member State, so that the EU is in closer contact with the citizens of Europe;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. ExpStresses its satisfaction withthe need to further enhance the public profile of the Ombudsman, whose aim is to provide citizens, companies, NGOs and other entities with information, and considers that high-quality information may help to reduce the number of complaints which do not fall within the Ombudsman's terms of reference; at the same time, calls on the Ombudsman to forward immediately those complaints which do not fall within his terms of reference by way of the most appropriate network at national and local level;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recognises the useful contribution made by the European Network of Ombudsmen, in line with the subsidiarity principle, in securing extra-judicial remedies; welcomes the collaboration between the European Ombudsman and ombudsmen and similar bodies at national, regional and local levels in the Member States and urges further strengthening of the exchange of best practice, thereby allowing for the harmonisation of best practices between Member States;