European Ombudsman

The European Ombudsman


The appointment of a mediator or Ombudsman reporting to the European Parliament is one of the new ideas introduced in the 1992 EU Treaty.


The European Parliament appoints an Ombudsman, empowered to receive complaints from any citizen of the Union or any natural or legal person residing or having its registered office in a Member State concerning instances of maladministration in the activities of the Community institutions or bodies, with the exception of the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance acting in their judicial role [Article 195 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (EC) and Article 107(d) of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom); see also Article 20(d) of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which expired on 23 July 2002].

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