European Ombudsman
Emily O'Reilly
European Ombudsman
MsȱV¼raȱJourováȱ
CommissionerȱresponsibleȱforȱJustice,ȱ
ConsumersȱandȱGenderȱEqualityȱ
EuropeanȱCommissionȱ
ȱ
ȱ
Strasbourg,ȱ22/02/2016ȱ
Re:ȱUseȱofȱtheȱtitleȱȇombudsmanȇȱinȱtheȱȇEUȬUSȱPrivacyȱShieldȇȱagreementȱ
DearȱCommissionerȱJourová,ȱ
RecentȱreportsȱonȱtheȱpoliticalȱagreementȱbetweenȱtheȱEuropeanȱ
CommissionȱandȱtheȱUSȱonȱaȱnewȱframeworkȱforȱtransatlanticȱdataȱflowsȱreferȱ
toȱanȱofficeȱwithȱtheȱtitleȱȇombudsmanȇ.ȱIȱunderstandȱfromȱreportsȱthatȱtheȱofficeȱ
inȱquestionȱwouldȱbeȱestablishedȱwithinȱtheȱUSȱStateȱDepartmentȱtoȱhandleȱ
complaintsȱfromȱEUȱcitizensȱconcerningȱaccessȱtoȱtheirȱpersonalȱdataȱbyȱUSȱ
nationalȱintelligenceȱauthorities.ȱ
AccordingȱtoȱtheȱInternationalȱOmbudsmanȱInstitute,ȱanȱOmbudsman
ȱ
Ȉ
offersȱindependentȱandȱobjectiveȱconsiderationȱofȱcomplaintsȈ;ȱitȱȈ
shouldȱnotȱreceiveȱ
anyȱdirectionȱfromȱanyȱpublicȱauthorityȱwhichȱwouldȱcompromiseȱitsȱindependenceȈ.1ȱ
TheȱOmbudsmanȱAssociationȱfurtherȱspecifiesȱthat,ȱasȱregardsȱindependence,ȱ
anȱȈ
Ombudsmanȱmustȱbeȱvisiblyȱandȱdemonstrablyȱindependentȱfromȱthoseȱwhomȱtheȱ
OmbudsmanȱhasȱtheȱpowerȱtoȱinvestigateȈ.2ȱȱ
Iȱappreciateȱthatȱdetailsȱofȱtheȱfullȱagreementȱhaveȱyetȱtoȱbeȱpublished,ȱ
butȱitȱwouldȱbeȱusefulȱatȱthisȱstageȱifȱyouȱmightȱoutline,ȱorȱreflectȱon,ȱȱhowȱ
theseȱcriteriaȱmightȱbeȱreconciledȱwithȱtheȱfactȱthatȱtheȱofficeȱforeseenȱinȱtheȱ
ȇEUȬUSȱPrivacyȱShieldȇȱwouldȱbeȱpartȱofȱaȱgovernmentȱdepartmentȱthatȱ
supervisesȱgovernmentȱagencies.ȱ
ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ
1 By-Laws of the International Ombudsman Institute. Adopted in Wellington, New Zealand on 13
November 2012. http://www.theioi.org/the-i-o-i.
2
ȱ Schedule 1 to the Rules of the Ombudsman Association: Criteria for the Recognition of Ombudsman
Offices. http://www.ombudsmanassociation.org/docs/BIOA-Rules-New-May2011-Schedule-1.pdf.
OUT2016-005733
1 avenue du Président Robert Schuman
T. + 33 (0)3 88 17 23 13
www.ombudsman.europa.eu
22-02-2016
ȱCS 30403
F. + 33 (0)3 88 17 90 62
xx@xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
Public INT
F - 67001 Strasbourg Cedex
Europeanȱcitizens,ȱthroughȱtheirȱexperienceȱofȱmemberȱstateȱ
OmbudsmenȱandȱofȱtheȱofficeȱofȱEuropeanȱOmbudsman,ȱhaveȱȱlegitimateȱ
expectationsȱofȱtheȱcredentialsȱasȱtoȱtheȱimpartialityȱandȱindependenceȱofȱsuchȱ
anȱofficeȱandȱIȱwouldȱbeȱconcernedȱifȱanythingȱwereȱdoneȱthatȱmightȱ
undermineȱthoseȱexpectationsȱandȱconfidenceȱgenerallyȱinȱtheȱOmbudsmanȱasȱ
anȱinstrumentȱofȱdemocraticȱaccountability.ȱ
Yoursȱsincerely,ȱ
ȱ
ȱ
ȱ
ȱ
ȱ
ȱ
ȱ
EmilyȱOȇReillyȱ
ȱ
cc:ȱMr.ȱClaudeȱMoraes,ȱChairȱofȱLIBEȱCommittee,ȱEuropeanȱParliamentȱ
ȱ
2
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