Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

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Changed41.42. Notes from the Questionnaire that in December 2024, following a complaint from a data subject, the EDPS opened a case against the Ombudsman under Article 57(e)57(1), point (e), of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725; takes note that after the Ombudsman provided the requested clarifications, the EDPS closed the case in 2025, concluding that the data subject had received sufficient information;

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Environment and sustainability

43. Notes from the Annual Report and the Questionnaire that the Ombudsman continued to reduce its environmental footprint through the digitalisation of its processes, the removal of individual printers, the non-replacement of central processing units when reaching end of life, and the near-complete shift to digital publications; welcomes Ombudsman’s efforts to make events more sustainable, including by using QR codes and locally sourced catering, and by implementing food waste prevention measures; notes with satisfaction that both buildings in which the Ombudsman has offices run on 100 % renewable electricity supplied under Parliament’s contracts and that Parliament’s installation of solar panels on its Strasbourg buildings, including the Havel building, began generating power in 2024;

44. Notes that, as the Ombudsman rents its premises from Parliament, it benefits from the latter’s environmental management under EMAS, including measures such as temperature settings of 19°C in winter, selective waste sorting, bio-waste collection introduced in 2024, and the replacement of disposable kitchen items with durable tableware; welcomes the application by the Ombudsman of Green Public Procurement principles, both through its own contracts and through cooperation agreements with other Union institutions;

45. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s continued promotion of sustainable mobility, through flat-rate contribution for the use of sustainable transport modes which has been received by 67 % of the Ombudsman’s eligible staff (up to grade AST8/AD8) in 2024, the organisation of annual bicycle maintenance sessions, and the regular participation of its staff in the interinstitutional cycling and walking challenges; notes that car parking remains limited while bicycle infrastructure continues to improve;

46. Notes with satisfaction the Ombudsman’s efforts to reduce travel-related emissions by systematically promoting videoconferencing and digital solutions as alternatives to missions, and by encouraging train travel over air travel; encourages the Ombudsman to continue integrating sustainability considerations into its risk management and awareness-raising activities, in line with its operational objective for 2024 to promote green and social responsibility;

Interinstitutional cooperation

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Changed46.47. Welcomes the financial and administrative savings achieved through inter-institutional cooperation, in particular the wide-range of service-level agreements concluded by the Ombudsman with Parliament and the Commission in a variety of areas and the participation in interinstitutional procurement procedures; welcomes the formalisation of the collaboration between Parliament and the Ombudsman in October 2024 in the field of cybersecurity through a revised inter-institutional agreement which provides a framework for Parliament to continue providing solid cybersecurity support to the Ombudsman; stresses that such cooperation is essential to avoid duplication of structures and to ensure efficient use of Union resources; encourages the Ombudsman to ensure that regular and up-to-date cybersecurity training is provided to all staff, in order to maintain a high level of awareness and resilience against evolving cyber threats;

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Changed47.48. Commends the Ombudsman for its good collaboration with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Court which in 2024 took the form of meetings and exchanges of views between the Ombudsman, Court’sthe Membersmembers of the Court and OLAF’s Director General; notes that the Ombudsman also spoke at a conference of the Court on the transparency of recovery of Union funds; notes further that in 2024 the Ombudsman presented the findings of key investigations to the relevant committees of Parliament and continued its good cooperation with the national and regional ombudsmen through the query procedure, whereby members of the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO) can ask questions about Union law that arise during their inquiries and the Ombudsman obtains expert replies from the Union institutions; notes in this context that the Ombudsman organised an ENO webinar in 2024 on various topics, including the implementation of the Union’s Whistleblower Directive and issues linked to free movement;

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Changed48.49. Notes from the Questionnaire that the Ombudsman and the EDPS cooperate mainly on an ad-hoc and informal basis aiming for a quick and efficient collaboration when needed; notes further with satisfaction that the Ombudsman and the EDPS have a memorandumMemorandum of understandingUnderstanding in place to regulate their respective competences in complaint handling and avoid duplication of procedures;

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Changed49.50. Welcomes the fact that the Ombudsman in 20232024 continued its close cooperation with relevant Parliament’s Committees (Committee on Petitions, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights) on important inquiries either by presenting the work directly in Committee meetings or through information being sent to the Committee Chairs; underlines that the strategic initiatives and inquiries conducted by the Ombudsman are key to improving the transparency and accountability of the Union’s administration;

Communication

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Changed50.51. Notes from the Questionnaire that the overall budget for communication and promotional activities (publications, event organisation, digital communicationcommunication, etc.) decreased by approx.approximately 38 % from EUR 155 200 in 2023 to EUR 96 515 in 2024; stresses that, while budgetary allocations must be strategic and results-oriented, the Ombudsman should remain focused on informing citizens about the Ombudsman’s mandate and retain sufficient communication capacity in particular for citizens turning to the Ombudsman to address concerns at the Union level; invites the Ombudsman to consider reallocating savings to ensure the Ombudsman maintains necessary visibility and outreach;

52. Recognises the efforts undertaken by the Ombudsman to provide transparent information and publish data (including statistics on its caseload) in an informative and user-friendly format on the Ombudsman website; welcomes the publication on the website of a timeline for all inquiries into complaints providing information about past and future milestones in each inquiry;

53. Notes from the Questionnaire and the Annual Report that in 2024 the Ombudsman broadened its outreach efforts by launching accounts on Threads and Bluesky, thereby diversifying its social media presence; observes that the Ombudsman continued to spotlight key thematic areas through dedicated social media campaigns and web stories, with the communication being centred on ethical standards within the Union institutions in 2024; welcomes from the Follow-up report the key strategic objective of the newly elected Ombudsman, to empower citizens, which will involve targeted communication activities to ensure that citizens who need the Ombudsman are aware of their rights and use the Ombudsman’s services;

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Changed53.54. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s regular newsletter “EO(EO Express”express) which keeps subscribers updated through promotion across platforms; highlights that the Ombudsman participated in a wide range of events organised by the Union and international bodies and gave frequent media interviews to clarify the Ombudsman’s mandate, explain which types of complaints it can handle, and inform citizens about when they may seek support from the Ombudsman;

55. Notes with satisfaction from the Questionnaire the Ombudsman’s website is designed to conform with the Union’s accessibility standards and guidelines and provides users with an inclusive and barrier-free online environment equipped with various accessibility features; notes that an audit of the accessibility and usability of the Ombudsman’s website that was carried out in 2025 gave an average compliance of almost 90 %; encourages the Ombudsman to continue doing regular audits on this matter;

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Changed55.56. Welcomes the sustained level of media attention, with roughly 5 000 articles referencing the Ombudsman’s work in 2024; notes that the Ombudsman primarily gauges public engagement through social media growth and website traffic, whereas follower numbers increased steadily during the year; observes that the Ombudsman’s Instagram, LinkedIn and X accounts gained a total of 9 186 additional followers, surpassing its targets for social media activities in 2024, as well as with regard to the number of unique visitors to its website.website; stresses the importance of continuing to prioritise external communication in order to enhance public awareness of the Ombudsman’s mandate and the services it provides to Union citizens.