Origin of the European Ombudsman

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to set out the multiannual process for establishing the European Ombudsman's office and the reasons for its establishment. It presents the history of the first European Ombudsmen and the history of the European Communities from a legal perspective. The author goes back to the reasons for setting up the European Ombudsman's body, which were the lack of legitimacy in the European Union. The role of bodies such as the European Ombudsman is to ensure that citizens' rights are actually respected. The European Ombudsman strengthens the rule of law in the European Union and complements the role of the courts by providing a cheap, accessible individual remedy and, on the other hand, complements the representative function of the European Parliament by becoming the centre of independent critical assessment and improvement of the quality of European administration. The rule of law serves to maintain the EU system as a supranational system. It is the construction of the axis of integration. If there is a lack of trust in the community in this respect, it begins to be treated differently. It is therefore important that the European Ombudsman fulfils his Treaty obligations as a body of the European Union effectively.