Brussels, 19/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - In order to enhance the role of the internal ombudsman and to favour his ability to make individual written proposals, the European Commission adopted, on Wednesday, a working document and a draft decision allowing to define a more precise framework for the Ombudsman's duties. In the light of the experience gained since the creation of this service in 1977, the Commission is proposing that the internal ombudsman may: - make written proposals to the parties concerned (with the present system, he has very little influence over the administration due to a purely oral procedure); - establish, each year, for the attention of the Commissioner or Director General for personnel and administration, a report describing the activities of the service and suggesting positive actions; - draft an annual report (confidential) for all the members of the personnel. Moreover, it is proposed to provide him with a new task, namely to listen to the members of the personnel suspecting the existence of serious problems.
Presently optional, recourse to the mediator (not to be confused with the European Ombudsman, he too a "mediator") offers the possibility to all members of the Commission's staff believing their rights to have been flouted (difficult relationships, hurt dignity, failure in professional obligations…) to find an alternative, "non-bureaucratic", solution, avoiding their having to go through the formal complaints procedure. Intervention by the mediator therefore offers an opportunity to avoid superfluous appeals and procedures before the Court of Justice. He currently deals with some 400 to 500 cases a year.