On Thursday 2 March, the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, asked the European Commission to update the provisions it intends to make to ensure the transparency of the forthcoming negotiations on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU.
In a letter to the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Ombudsman asks the Commission to clarify the various documents the Commission intends to publish, including the timetable for the negotiations and reports on the rounds of negotiations.
O'Reilly explains that she understands that the EU needs to “create an appropriate and effective negotiating context”, implying that certain documents must be kept confidential. “However, as the Union has done in the past, it would be helpful to adopt a proactive approach from the outset and give citizens access to relevant information and documents at the appropriate time and without the need to ask for them”, her letter reads. This will help to highlight the EU's determination to respond to citizens' legitimate need for information on the negotiations, she added.
At a recent meeting with the Secretariat General of the Council of the EU, the services of the European Ombudsman discussed public access to the Council's documents concerning Brexit negotiations.
O'Reilly also advises the Commission to clarify how it plans to receive and publish stakeholder comments throughout Brexit negotiation process. “I am conscious of the concerns of EU citizens and businesses about the potentially far-reaching implications of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations”, she comments in a press release.
Freedom of movement. The Ombudsman also notes that many questions about EU citizens' rights may come to her office through the European Network of Ombudsmen. These may be questions, complaints and concerns about the rights and obligations of citizens stemming from their exercise of their right to freedom of movement. “One might expect these to come from EU citizens from other member states living in the UK and from UK citizens who have settled in other member states”, O'Reilly's letter reads. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)