27 Amendments of Fidias PANAYIOTOU related to 2024/2056(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas in 2023, the Ombudsman opened 398 inquiries, of which 393 were complaint-based and 5 own-initiative, while closing 372 inquiries (369 complaint-based and 3 own-initiative); thus continuing its intense and efficient activity, enabled by the new Regulation 2021/1163 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT of 24 June 2021 laying down the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties (Statute of the European Ombudsman) and repealing Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas the special report was discussed in the Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and led to a European Parliament resolution entitled ‘The time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents’3 , in which Parliament expressed great concern about the extreme delays in the Commission’s process of granting public access to requested documents and asked the Commission to correct these systematic and significant delays; and called on the Commission to finally and immediately publish the text messages that the President of the Commission and the CEO of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer exchanged during the negotiations on the procurement of 1.8 billion doses of COVID- 19 vaccines and requested the immediate and full publication of all contracts for the purchase of COVID- 19 vaccines financed wholly or partially with public funds; _________________ 3 Texts Adopted, P9_TA(2024)0172.
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
N a. whereas on 14 March 2024 Parliament adopted the resolution entitled ‘The time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents` in which stresses that, if the Commission does not address the systematic and significant delays in its processing of requests for public access to documents by the time the new College of Commissioners is established, Parliament will consider using all available parliamentary instruments to address the matter;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Congratulates Emily O’Reilly on her determination to open wider strategic inquiries and initiatives revealing thus systemic malfunctions within EU institutions regarding access to documents, protection of fundamental rights, ethical issues, accountability in decision making and personnel issues;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Encourages all other EU institutions to promote the Ombudsman’s guide to accessing EU documents in a joint effort to raise citizens’ awareness of their right of access to documents and increase the participation of citizens in the EU’s decision-making processes;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Council to engage in constructive negotiations with Parliament and the Commission on the revision of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, in order to turn these three key EU institutions into role models of transparency and public accountability for the whole of the EUupdate the definition of an EU document taking into account evolving means of communication, such as text and instant messages and to align this regulation to the new digital context and to turn these three key EU institutions into role models of transparency and public accountability for the whole of the EU; invites the Ombudsman, in this context and based on it`s proven expertise to advise and propose good practice guidelines preserving thus citizens` access to public documents in an rapidly evolving digital society;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Endorses the conclusions of the Ombudsman’s special report4[1] to the European Parliament concerning the time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents and is worried about the Ombudsman’s assessment that these systemic and significant delays in the Commission’s processing of requests for public access to documents amount to maladministration; underlines how important it is that the Commission dedicate more resources to dealing with confirmatory requests under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, reminds the Commission that 1 year has already passed since the Ombudsman’s special report recommended that the Commission correct that situation as a matter of priority and calls on the Commission to correct this situation as a matter of priority and to urgently improve its practice of handling confirmatory requests; acknowledges the importance of the timely treatment of access to documents requests by all institutions; reminds the Commission of Parliament’s right to bring action against it before the Court of Justice of the European Union on the grounds of infringement of the Treaties and expects a clear and unequivocal commitment by the new College of Commissioners to remedy this situation; _________________ 4[1] Special Report of the European Ombudsman in her strategic inquiry concerning the time the European Commission takes to deal with requests for public access to documents (OI/2/2022/OAM).
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls the Commission’s refusal in 2002 and the Ombudsman’s complaint of maladministration in respect of its refusal to grant full access to text messages between Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission, and Albert Bourla, CEO of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, regarding contracts for the COVID-19 vaccine;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Endorses the assessment of Ombudsman’s special report which underlines that unless and until the Commission, at the highest levels, demonstrates in practice that transparency is the rule and a priority for the institution, its handling of requests will continue to be delayed.
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. It is highly concerned that the Commission's refusal to provide access to documents concerning the greenhouse gas emissions reported under the EU Emissions Trading System, extends to more industrial facilities, other than the ceramics industry and calls on the Commission to ensure full public access to environmental information";
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Endorses the intention of the Ombudsman to conduct a broader inquiry into how the scope of environmental information and information related to emissions into the environment is interpreted by the Commission; commends the Ombudsman for emphasising that the EU and the Commission in particular has an obligation to ensure a high level of public access to environmental information and public participation in decision-making relating to the environment;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Council to allow full public access to the legal opinion on the proposed EU directive on adequate minimum wages in the European Union, as recommended by the Ombudsman, who found evidence of maladministration in this matter;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Invites the Ombudsman to conduct a broader inquiry regarding access to documents related to the industrial facilities under the scope of the EU Emissions Trading System and regarding possible distortions of the European carbon market caused by the lack of access to documents.
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Congratulates the Ombudsman for her efforts to further contribute to the clarification of what constitutes an EU document and stresses that it is essential that the EU institutions follow the Ombudsman’s recommendations in order to adapt their administrative practices tocalls on the new Commission to urgently present European Parliament and Council a revised proposal of Regulation 1049/2001) which updates the definition of EU document, takeing into account evolving means of communication, such as text and instant messages;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Appreciates the Ombudsman’s commitment to upholding fundamental rights in the EU institutions’ border management activities by launching inquiries into the actions of Frontex and the Commission in this areaafter the drowning of more than 500 people off the Greek coast on 14 June 2023; notes that the Ombudsman asked for further clarification from the Commission as to how it intends to guarantee respect for human rights in the context of the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding, in an effort to ensure that the EU complies with its human rights obligations;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. WCongratulates the Ombudsman on her own-initiative inquiry into how the Commission ensures EU funds for Greek border management do not contribute to fundamental rights violations; welcomes the Commission’s decision to work with local authorities to draw up a fundamental rights impact assessment of EU-funded migration management facilities in Greece, following an own-initiative inquiry by the Ombudsman into how the Commission ensures respect for fundamental rights in these facilities;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the Commission’s decision to work with local authorities to draw up a fundamental rights impact assessment of EU-funded migration management facilities in Greece, following an own-initiative inquiry by the Ombudsman into how the Commission ensures respect for fundamental rights in these facilities; points out the Ombudsman call on the Commission to establish an independent commission of inquiry to assess the reasons for the large numbers of deaths in the Mediterranean and to learn from the Adriana shipwreck;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Supports the Ombudsman’s proposals to the European External Action Service regarding the assessment of human rights risks prior to providing support to non-EU countries;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Commission to extend the fundamental rights impact assessment of EU-funded migration management facilities to other Member States, like Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Malta
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Regrets that the Commission failed to launch a public consultation on the tri- annual European Citizenship report 2023 pursuant to Article 25 of the TFEU; calls on the Commission to take actions to ensure that all EU citizens can effectively exercise their rights and to draw up a clear guidelines for future reports, with consultations on every tri-annual report on EU citizenship and subsequent legislative proposals;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s intention, after the Qatar scandal, to launch an inquiry into travel expenses paid for by third parties since 2021 and to determine whether the Commission took appropriate measures to mitigate potential conflicts of interest in these cases;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the Ombudsman’s investigations into risks of conflicts of interest in the Commission, especially in the area of the European Defence Fund (EDF); finds it problematic that the Commission is not required to make public the names of the experts it consults on EDF-related projects, and invit; urges the Commission to reflect on how to increase transparency and public scrutiny in this sensitive policy area; calls on the EU institutions to maintain and enhance public trust in the impartiality of administrative bodies involving experts;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Welcomes Ombudsman’s call on the Commission to publish the declarations of interest made by the members of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board, a body which has an essential role in the preparation of the Commission’s legislative proposals, proactively and, if needed, amend the relevant rules governing the Board;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Encourages the Commission to step up its efforts to increase transparency with regard to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and supports the Ombudsman’s call on the Commission to improve its handling of requests for public access to RRF-related documents and to continue publishing preliminary assessments of Member States’ payment requests; emphasises the need for all Member States to set up public portals informing citizens about all recipients of RRF funds;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on the Commission to take all necessary steps to ensure that all Member States have set up public portals containing data on major funding recipients and publish all RRF beneficiaries on these public portals;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Invites the Ombudsman to take into consideration investigating the level of transparency of Commission’s interactions with the pharma industry;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Calls on the Commission and Council to answer in a positive manner to any budget increase request regarding the financial allocation for the European Ombudsman institution, taking into consideration the increasingly complex EU decision-making environment and the Ombudsman's role in ensuring that the European administration remains accountable and transparent;