The EO express brings you an overview of the European Ombudsman’s recent activities, including inquiry openings, key findings, speeches, and events. Subscribe here if you want to get the EO express - published a few times a year - in your mailbox.

Overall constructive reply to Ombudswoman’s urgent decision making findings

The Ombudswoman welcomed the European Commission’s overall constructive reply to her findings in a series of inquiries regarding urgent decision making. These inquiries concerned how the Commission prepared legislative drafts for new or amended EU rules for corporate sustainability due diligence, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and countering migrant smuggling. In its reply, the Commission recognised the importance of ensuring that derogations from its standard policy-making rules in the case of urgency are properly recorded and explained. After analysing the Commission’s reply in detail and taking into account feedback from the complainants, the Ombudswoman will draw up her final conclusions.

Inquiry concerning AI use in the evaluation of EU funding proposals

Following a complaint, the Ombudswoman opened an inquiry into whether the European Commission and the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) have sufficient safeguards regarding AI use by external experts evaluating EU funding proposals. The Ombudswoman sent a number of questions to the two bodies concerning matters such as what rules they have in place on the use of AI by expert evaluators, how they assess the risks and opportunities of evaluators using third party AI tools, and if evaluators are required to disclose their use of AI.

Ombudswoman asks Commission to strengthen procedures for addressing disability-related complaints

The Ombudswoman asked the European Commission to improve support for staff members with disabilities through the development of clearer and more comprehensive procedures for addressing complaints about alleged disability-related discrimination. These procedures should ensure that those responsible for handling disability-related complaints and harassment allegations systematically consult the Commission’s central disability team - or other staff with expertise in disability matters - before finalising decisions. The Ombudswoman’s suggestions follow a complaint-based inquiry that examined how the Commission handled a request for assistance that raised allegations of psychological harassment linked to disability-related concerns.

Commission asked to explain lack of information about impact of EU4Health budget cuts

The Ombudswoman asked the European Commission to explain why it did not inform in a timely and transparent way the civil society organisations concerned about the effect budget cuts would have on an EU funding programme in the health sector. Various NGOs had signed Framework Partnership Agreements (FPAs) with the Commission under the EU4Health programme in 2024, expecting the Commission to publish calls for operating grants for 2025. But when the Commission decided not to publish any calls due to budget cuts, it did not proactively inform these organisations. The Ombudswoman emphasised that this lack of information made it more difficult for the NGOs to plan their activities accordingly and make informed decisions on how to manage their budgets.

Ombudswoman asks Commission for clarity on guidelines assisting AI Act implementation

The Ombudswoman asked the European Commission to provide more clarity around the guidelines meant to assist in the implementation of the AI Act after a complainant pointed out possible discrepancies between requirements imposed by the Act and the Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models. Specifically, she asked the Commission to address the complainant’s concerns about energy consumption reporting requirements and to clarify its position that it is not empowered to assess individual elements of the code.

Commission should address procedural concerns raised by organisers of ‘Fur Free Europe’ citizens' initiative

The Ombudswoman asked the European Commission to reply to a meeting request from the organisers of the ‘Fur Free Europe’ European Citizens’ Initiative. She also asked the Commission to use its reply to address concerns raised by the organisers when it comes to balanced stakeholder involvement and evidence-based decision-making. Fur Free Europe filed a complaint with the Ombudswoman after the Commission failed to reply to their meeting request of 12 December 2025.

Speech on ensuring consistency and predictability in EU decision making to the Board of the German Retail Federation

“If we want to restore trust in EU politics — and if we want an EU that supports competitive, innovative, and responsible businesses — we must balance urgency with inclusivity, and efficiency with democratic deliberation. Shortcuts may at times be unavoidable. But when they weaken participatory democracy, they also weaken legitimacy.” Read the full speech

Presentation of the 2024 annual report to the European Parliament

On 12 March, the Ombudswoman presented her Office’s 2024 annual report to Members of the European Parliament. She highlighted general trends as well as a number of key cases, such as how the European Commission and Council of the EU handle access to legislative documents and how the Commission prepares urgent legislative proposals. In her presentation, the Ombudswoman also stressed that ensuring trust in our institutions requires dialogue that is continuous, constructive, and credible. Read the full speech

Ombudswoman speaks to journalists at International Press Association event

Speaking at an event organised by the International Press Association, the Ombudswoman stressed the essential role that journalists play in maintaining a strong and open public sphere. She also highlighted various issues that have been a core focus of her work over the past year. These included transparency and access to documents, urgent decision making, cases related to artificial intelligence, and the need for clear and timely communication on the part of the institutions. Read the full speech