Strasbourg, 01/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - British Conservative, the Earl of Stockton, in a report adopted by the European Parliament on the European Ombudsman's annual report for 2002, was keen to congratulate the first Ombudsman, Jacob Söderman for, "the accomplishment of his productive and stimulating mandate, which ended on 31 March 2002, during which he succeeded in consolidating the foundations of the institutions". He called on the European Commission to reconsider, "its position on the amendments to the status of the Ombudsman, notably the right of Member States and third countries to refuse the Ombudsman and the Parliament access to information, as well as the limits laid down by the Commission on rights and responsibilities of civil servants and other agents to bear witness at the request of the Ombudsman during the course of its investigations".