El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha asistido este jueves a la conmemoración del 25 aniversario de la Fundación Carolina, que ha tenido lugar en la sede de la Fundación Ortega-Marañón en Madrid y en el que han participado personas que han pasado por este organismo en este tiempo.

La Fundación Carolina se creó por acuerdo del Consejo de Ministros el 22 de septiembre de 2000. Su objetivo: fomentar las relaciones culturales y la cooperación en materia educativa y científica entre España y los países de la Comunidad Iberoamericana por los especiales vínculos históricos, culturales y geográficos.

El núcleo de las actividades de la Fundación Carolina se localiza en el ámbito de la formación de estudiantes y profesores/as iberoamericanos/as, impulsando sus estudios, en todas las áreas del conocimiento, a través de becas de posgrado y doctorado y de ayudas a la investigación.

OmbudsDay 2025 is celebrated on 9 October. The theme of this years Ombudsday is Empowering Voices, Resolving Challenges. Ombudsday offers a great opportunity to highlight the role of the Ombudsman and to raise awareness of the different services provided by each Ombudsman office.

Ireland has seven different Ombudsman offices. These Ombudsman can investigate complaints from members of the public on a wide ranges of issues. Their services are impartial, fair and free.

Watch the video to find out which Ombudsman are in Ireland and what they do.

FRA’s Director launched the report ‘Rights of Roma and Travellers in 13 European Countries – Perspectives from the Roma Survey 2024’ on 2 October in Brussels. During the opening political panel of the European Platform for Roma Inclusion, she presented key survey findings.

These findings framed the proceedings of entire Platform that provides a forum for civil society, Member States and international organisations to discuss policies and developments. 

The meeting took stock of progress mid-way through the implementation of the EU Roma framework. 

The Platform meeting was followed by the regular National Roma Contact Points meeting on 3 October. Representative of Member States provided update related to Roma inclusion in their countries. FRA presented detailed results of the recent Roma survey 2024. 

• Among all petitions received in 2024, environment remains citizens’ top concern

• MEPs call for stronger school systems amid serious teacher shortages across the EU

• Closer cooperation between EU institutions, national and local authorities needed to address citizens’ concerns

According to the Petitions Committee report for 2024, environment was the top concern by petitioners for the third year, followed by fundamental rights.

On Thursday, Parliament adopted the 2024 annual report of the Committee on Petitions, with 535 votes in favour, 24 against and 55 abstentions. MEPs urge the European Commission and Member States to meet citizens’ expectations on climate protection and to ensure the proper enforcement of EU environmental legislation.

For the third consecutive year, environmental issues were the most frequently raised by petitioners (20.1% of all petitions), followed by personal matters (13.2%, often linked to a secondary theme), fundamental rights (11.4%), the internal market (11.2%) and justice (9.1%).

Environmental concerns

Petitioners’ environmental concerns dominated committee work in 2024. Issues raised included wolf protection status and the impact of EU deforestation rules, which led to a fact-finding mission in Austria in April 2025. Other concerns covered, among others, pesticide toxicity, land preservation, waste treatment, alleged fossil fuel industry influence in EU decision-making and rising living costs.

Fundamental rights and internal market

MEPs expect from the Commission consistent follow-up and regular updates on petitions relating to fundamental rights and the internal market. In April 2024, they urged the Council to swiftly grant Romania and Bulgaria full Schengen membership to ease border delays for heavy goods vehicles.

Other issues dealt by the Committee included data protection, workers’ rights, reception of migrants and asylum seekers, and protection of children’s rights, including their online safety. Amid a severe EU-wide teacher shortage, MEPs urge the Commission and Member States to strengthen school systems and make the teaching profession more attractive.

Quote

“The overwhelming endorsement of the Committee on Petitions’ 2024 Annual Report sends a clear message: we are committed to strengthening the voice of our citizens and upholding petitions as both a cornerstone of participatory democracy and a vital tool for uncovering instances of misapplication or breaches of EU law” said rapporteur Fredis Beleris (EPP, EL).

Background

The right to petition the European Parliament is guaranteed under the Treaties. In 2024, Parliament received 1518 petitions, of which 82,3% were submitted via the Petitions Web Portal. To facilitate the 2024 European elections, a parliamentary recess was observed from 26 April to 15 July.