European Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros “called on the EU administration to be as transparent and citizen-friendly as possible,” according to a press release about his Sept. 28 speech in Brussels.
“Only if European citizens feel that the EU administration is transparent, accessible and accountable, will they develop the necessary trust and willingness actively to participate in the democratic life of the Union,” he said.
More than one third of the inquiries to his office concern complaints about lack of transparency in the EU administration, he reported, noting that an increasing number of complaints that raise ethical concerns.
On transparency, Diamandouros said:
The Lisbon Treaty provides for greater transparency in the activities of the EU administration. It requires the Council to meet in public when it deliberates on draft legislation and contains the citizens’ right of access to documents of all EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, including, for the first time, the European Council. The Treaty also requires the EU administration to conduct its work as openly as possible, in order to promote good governance and the participation of civil society. I am committed to informing citizens about their right to know what the EU administration is doing.
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