Nikiforos Diamandouros (Greek), Vittorio Botoli (Italian) or Pierre-Yves Monet (Belgian) will outline their priorities in a hearing before the Petitions committeee on 30 November. They have been chosen by this committee among six applications received for the post of European Ombudsman.

The Petitions committee is responsible for the reception of candidacies and the organisation of hearings with aspirants to this position. The Official Journal of the European Union issued a call for proposals for the appointment of a new Ombudsman for the term 2009-2014 on 10 September. 

According to European legislation, whereas the European Ombudsman is chosen from among persons who are Union citizens, have full civil  and political rights, offer every guarantee of independence, and meet the conditions required for the exercise  of the highest judicial office in the country or have the acknowledged competence and experience to  undertake the duties of the Ombudsman.

Applications for this position, which currently holds the Greek Nikiforos Diamandourus have been received by the President of Parliament until 9 October, and they must had the support of a minimum of forty Members of the European Parliament who are  citizens of at least two Member States.

Nikiforos Diamandouros (Greek), Vittorio Botoli (Italian) and  Pierre-Yves Monet (Belgian) are the three pre-selected candidates. The other three applicants did not fulfil the conditions required by the Regulations on the Ombudsman and, thus, their candidacies have been declared inadmissible.

Background

The Ombudsman is elected by the European Parliament at the start of each parliamentary term. The current European Ombudsman, Nikiforos Diamandouros, was elected in January 2003 for the remainder 1999-2004 legislative period, following the retirement of the Union's first Ombudsman, Jacob Söderman. Diamandourus could renew his charge.

The European Parliament will elect the new Ombudsman by secret ballot in January 2010.