European Ombudsman

1. Decision on how the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) handled a complaint about the translation of test items in a selection procedure for the recruitment of EU staff (CAST) (case 2042/2024/MAG)

   Dear Mr X,

   You recently submitted a complaint to the European Ombudsman against the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) concerning the above issue. You consider that EPSO should not have rejected your complaint for ‘procedural reasons’, that is, because it was submitted too late.

   After careful analysis of all the information you provided with your complaint, we have decided to close the inquiry with the following conclusion:

   There was no maladministration by EPSO.

   The call for expression of interest sets out that candidates must submit complaints concerning issues related to items of the multiple-choice reasoning tests within one calendar day following the tests. Candidates must also provide sufficient information about the issue at stake and about how it impaired their ability to take the tests. The call for expression of interest is the binding legal framework of the selection procedure and must apply equally to all candidates./

2. Reply of the European Commission on a request for information from the European Ombudsman on the Commission’s record keeping in relation to meetings with interest representatives

   Please download pdf document attached.

3. The European Commission’s failure to reply to correspondence concerning the status of a complaint about an alleged infringement of EU law in the wine sector by Czechia (CPLT(2024)00874)

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4. Report on the meeting of the European Ombudsman inquiry team with representatives of the European Commission on how it dealt with a request for public access to documents related to its campaign 'You are EU'

   Location: Office of the European Ombudsman (rue Froissart 87, Brussels)

   Present

   European Commission

   • Head of Unit - Strategy & Corporate Campaigns (DG COMM.B.1)
   • Head of Unit - Legal Advice, Security and Document Management (DG COMM.D.2)
   • Head of Unit - Interinstitutional Relations, Corporate Contracts & EDCC (DG COMM.B.2)
   • Head of Sector - Public Procurement and Grants (DG COMM.D.3.003)
   • Legal Officer - Ethics, Good Administration and Relations with the European Ombudsman (SG.C.2)
   • Deputy Head of Unit - Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents (SG.C.1)
   • Legal and Policy Officer - Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents (SG.C.1)
   • Legal and Policy Officer - Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents (SG.C.1)
   • Administrative Agent - Transparency, Document Management and Access to Documents (SG.C.1)

   European Ombuds

5. Decision on the European Commission’s record keeping in relation to meetings with interest representatives (case 204/2024/MIG)

   The case concerned the European Commission’s record keeping in relation to high-level meetings with interest representatives. Based on the Commission’s replies to a number of requests for public access to documents, the complainant, a journalist, was concerned that the Commission does not always document what commissioners (and/or members of their cabinets) and directors-general discuss with representatives of industry or civil society when they meet. More specifically, the complainant considered that the Commission had failed to keep records of 15 meetings.

   The Ombudsman asked the Commission to provide its comments on the complaint. In reply, the Commission stated that it had provided the complainant with documentation of more than 100 meetings in the relevant period. The Commission also explained that it holds minutes or similar records in relation to all meetings concerned, with the exception of two meetings that had, in fact, not taken place. The complainant did not respo