EU Ombudsman
Diamandouros was the right choice for transparency
The European Parliament today voted (1) to grant Nikiforos Diamandourous a further term as EU Ombudsman, the intermediary responsible for investigating complaints about maladministration or access to information in the EU institutions. Following an initiative by Finnish Green MEP Heidi Hautala, 26 cross-party MEPs from the Nordic region signed a letter in support of Diamandouros when the result of the vote still hung in the balance. She commented:
"A strong EU Ombudsman acts as an effective watchdog to ensure the good governance and functioning of the EU institutions. The EU needs a reliable ombudsman to whom citizens, communities and companies can turn if they have suffered maladministration. In practice, lack of transparency is by far the most common ground for complaint.
The current Ombudsman, Nikiforos Diamandouros is the only candidate to have demonstrated the credentials to uphold the values that are inherent in this institution, originally rooted in the Nordic legal tradition. Over the last few years, Mr. Diamandouros has proven to be an excellent champion for transparency and citizens' rights. I hope his continued commitment will help to spur the Commission to improve the Regulation on access to documents. Furthermore, I am delighted that so many Nordic members across party lines rallied to give their support to a Greek holder of the office."
Notes to editors:
(1) Nikiforos Diamandouros: 340 votes in favour, Pierre-Yves Moinette, 289 votes; Vittorio Bottoli, 19 votes.
(1) Nikiforos Diamandouros: 340 votes in favour, Pierre-Yves Moinette, 289 votes; Vittorio Bottoli, 19 votes.
