Contents

Who can complain to the Ombudsman?
What is maladministration?
What are the institutions and bodies?
How to complain
How to contact the European Ombudsman

The European Ombudsman investigates complaints about maladministration by institutions and bodies of the European Community.

The Ombudsman cannot deal with complaints concerning national, regional or local administrations of the Member States.

Who can complain to the Ombudsman?

If you are a citizen of a Member State of the Union or living in a Member State, you can make a complaint to the European Ombudsman. Businesses, associations or other bodies with a registered office in the Union may also complain to the Ombudsman.

What is maladministration?

Maladministration means poor or failed administration. This occurs if an institution fails to do something it should have done, if it does it in the wrong way or if it does something that ought not to be done. Some examples are:

• administrative irregularities
• unfairness
• discrimination
• abuse of power
• lack or refusal of information
• unnecessary delay

What are the institutions and bodies?

The institutions and bodies of the European Community are, for example:

• The European Commission
• The Council of the European Union
• The European Parliament
• The Court of Auditors
• The Court of Justice (except in its judicial role)
• The Economic and Social Committee
• The Committee of the Regions
• The European Monetary Institute
• The European Central Bank (from 1.1.1999)
• The European Investment Bank

How to complain

Write to the Ombudsman in any of the 11 official languages of the Union, setting out clearly who you are, which institution or body of the European Community you are complaining against and the grounds for your complaint.

A complaint must be made within two years of the date when you got to know the facts on which your complaint is based.

You need not be individually affected by the maladministration, but you must already have contacted the institution or body concerned, for example by a letter.

The Ombudsman does not deal with matters that are currently before a court or that have already been settled by a court.

The Ombudsman will examine your complaint, and you will be informed of the outcome of his investigation.

A complaint can be made by writing a simple letter to the European Ombudsman or by using the form enclosed.

How to contact the European Ombudsman

• By mail
  The European Ombudsman
  1 avenue du Président Robert Schuman
  B.P. 403
  F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

• By telephone
  (33) 3 88 17 40 01

• By fax
  (33) 3 88 17 90 62

• By e-mail
  euro-ombudsman@europarl.eu.int
• Website
  http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int