THE European Ombudsman has urged greater co-operation between his office and the Irish Ombudsman to ensure that the rights of Irish citizens are respected at all levels within the EU.
Mr Jacob Soderman was addressing a conference entitled "Defending European Citizens' Rights" in Dublin yesterday.
Most complaints received by the European Ombudsman's office concerned the national administration of community law, Mr Soderman said. Secrecy and unfairness were chief among their concerns.
The bulk of European law is administered by national authorities. National ombudsmen are entitled to supervise the national authorities' application of such law.
Over 3,000 complaints are received by the Irish Ombudsman's office in Dublin each year. These include complaints against Telecom, health boards, local authorities and the civil service.
Mr Kevin Murphy, the Irish Ombudsman, welcomed the Constitutional Review Group's recommendation that his office should become a constitutional office. Although his office's decisions are not legally binding, Mr Murphy noted that no recommendation of an Irish ombudsman has ever been rejected by any public body.
Mr Edward Newman, chairman of the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament, said his committee allowed the public to have a direct input into European decision making on policy. His office received over 1,350 petitions in 1995.
Mr Pat Farrell, chairman of the European Movement, said people had a right to seek redress from institutions that govern their day to day lives.