During the publication of her annual report for 2016, the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, also distributed a practical guide for EU personnel on how to deal with lobbyists.
In a press release, the Ombudsman’s services explained, “The Dos and Don’ts list will help ensure that public officials do not inadvertently breach ethical norms. The list should also help the interest representatives by clarifying what is appropriate thereby making sure that the interactions are positive and open for everyone involved”.
These recommendations were drafted in consultation with the EU institutions and are based on the work carried out by the Ombudsman in the context of the regulation on lobbying. They are even more pertinent given the impending negotiations or the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU, “when large numbers of interest representatives will understandably seek to engage with EU officials, Ms O’Reily explained.
More transparency on Brexit negotiations? The Ombudsman has written to the Commission and the Council asking about their Brexit transparency plans. Commission President Juncker’s reply was generally positive (the Council’s reply is due at the end of May), explained the Ombudsman. The EU institutions have started positively by publishing the negotiating guidelines, the negotiating directives and guiding principles for making publicly available further Brexit-related documents. The Ombudsman stated “My office will be watching closely to make sure the current proactive approach to transparency is maintained throughout the talks”.
Citizens’ rights and Brexit transparency will be discussed at the annual conference of the European Network of Ombudsmen in Brussels on 19-20 June.
2016 annual report. This report highlights concerns about transparency in the EU administration accounted for the biggest proportion of the Ombudsman's cases (29.6%) in 2016. The year also saw the Ombudsman open strategic inquiries and initiatives into key issues, such as how the Commission carries out conflict of interest assessments for its Special Advisers and how the Commission dealt with former President Barroso’s decision to take a post with Goldman Sachs Bank.
The Ombudsman made proposals to improve the system of trialogues and the system of Commission expert groups. She also made recommendations to the Commission on the authorisation of pesticides and closed her inquiry into public access to clinical study reports related to Humira. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)