Brussels, 25/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 25 November, European Ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros, announced that he had opened an investigation into the Commission's Early Warning System (EWS). This mechanism draws up a list of companies, NGOs, associations and other bodies that the Commission considers potential threats to the financial interests of the European Union. All institutions and bodies of the Union can block or suspend payments and contracts with the bodies mentioned in certain categories of the EWS. The Ombudsman recently received several complaints about the EWS. In one case, a Spanish environmental protection organisation's EU programme candidacy was rejected because it was subject to a preliminary legal investigation in Spain, signalled in the EWS. The ombudsman criticised the Commission, which had failed to demonstrate a fair balance between good financial management of its subsidies and the organisation's fundamental rights. (L.C./transl.rh)