Foreword

• Author: The European Ombudsman
• Pages: 5-5

Page 5

The European Ombudsman was established by the Maastricht Treaty to deal with complaints about maladministration by the institutions and bodies of the European Community. I was elected the first European Ombudsman in 1995. Since then, I have dealt with over 10,000 grievances from citizens, companies, organisations and public authorities.

Each dispute settled, each letter answered, each bill paid, each document released, each administrative reform made as a result of the Ombudsman"s inquiries has meant one more satisfied citizen. But more than that - when the institutions solve a problem raised by one individual, everybody benefits.

Be it shorter deadlines for payment, wider access to documents or fairer procedures, the last seven years have seen positive changes in the way that the Community"s administration is run. This improvement brings us closer to realising the fundamental right of every European citizen to good administration, as laid down in the Nice Charter.

This guide highlights the Ombudsman"s efforts in recent years to solve citizens" problems with the Community"s administration. The institutions and bodies have co-operated well to respond to the complaints that I bring to their attention. Much remains to be done but I am convinced that they will continue to improve their performance.

I hope that this guide gives you a clear picture of the service that the European Ombudsman"s office can provide for you. Together, we can ensure a better EU public administration for everyone"s benefit.

Jacob Sˆderman