Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-21-Speech-1-226"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2008-04-21"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Statute of the European Ombudsman (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20080421.20.1-226"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2008-04-21-Speech-1-2272
lpv:speaker	lp:Richard Corbett2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, the European institutions are unavoidably more distant from citizens than are national or local institutions. That is why we have the principle of subsidiarity, which states that we should not act at European level if national or local action is perfectly adequate. That is also why we have an institutional system such that when we do act at European level we can offer citizens the guarantee that the institutions operate to the highest degree of openness, democracy and propriety. That is why we have a European Parliament, so that Europe is not just left to government ministers and technocrats, diplomats and bureaucrats. That is why we have the Court of Justice, to ensure the rule of law. That is also why we have the Ombudsman, so that even those citizens who do not follow our deliberations week in, week out – and there are many of them – can rest assured that we operate to those high standards, and that if there are allegations of maladministration then they will be properly and impartially investigated. However, as Commissioner Wallström said, citizens must have confidence in the Ombudsman’s capacity to do that. Even if there have not yet been any cases of officials, when questioned by the Ombudsman, having been given instructions from ‘higher-up’ tantamount to censorship, and even if there have not up to now been problems of access to confidential documents, it is important that our citizens see that these things cannot become obstacles, and cannot be used as excuses to hide things from the Ombudsman. That is why I welcome the initiative the Ombudsman has taken in proposing changes to his statute. My group will be supporting the changes approved by the Constitutional Affairs Committee, and I am sure that Parliament as a whole will endorse them whole-heartedly."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; CONT (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 member; PES (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 member; Delegation for relations with Japan (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of the Andean Community (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3 unknown; Labour Party (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 substitute; BUDG (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 member; AFCO (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Richard Corbett (PSE ). -"1

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