Ombudsman O’Reilly eyes second term

Emily O’Reilly opens the door to her second-floor office in the European quarter in Brussels. “Would you like a coffee?” she says in her signature casual style, as she leads me into a sleek room with a glass-facade, overlooking Rue Montoyer.

She has just finished an hour-long briefing with a room full of journalists to mark the publication of her European Ombudsman’s annual report.

The former Irish ombudsman was elected by the European Parliament last year, beating five other candidates for the post. Although barely known in EU circles, a mix of behind-the-scene campaigning and a stellar performance in front of the European Parliament committees secured her election to the €250,000-a- year post.

In the world of grey EU officialdom, O’Reilly stands out. Bright, articulate and female, her style is informal, even offhand. At various points during her press conference, she invites members of her 80-strong staff to intervene, and engages with journalists throughout the briefing.

But behind the studied informality, is a steely seriousness. “I don’t just see [the role of ombudsman] as a single complaint-handling body. I see it as potentially a transformative office, that can give real reality to the buzzwords everybody trots out – transparency, accountability and so on,” she says.

Compliance rates

Set up under the Maastricht Treaty, the EU Ombudsman is responsible for fielding complaints from the public about maladministration in the EU, and ensuring that EU institutions are open and accountable.

Last year, the office received more than 23,000 complaints from the public, opening inquiries into 350 cases. While the office cannot compel institutions to abide by its rulings – as evidenced by the ECB's failure to publish a letter sent by Jean-Claude Trichet to the late Brian Lenihan – the office has about 80 per cent compliance rates.

But it is through so-called own-initiative inquiries, rather than pursuing citizens’ complaints, that O’Reilly has tried to make her mark. This includes her announcement in July of a probe into the ongoing negotiations on an EU-US trade deal, amid concerns about transparency.

Her office is also stepping up its inquiry into the "revolving doors" phenomenon at the European Commission, whereby EU staff members leave to work in the private sector.

The influence of big business and vested interests on EU institutions is something of which O’Reilly is keenly aware.

“I remember, when I began my campaign last year it was the first thing I became aware of. I used to sit at the front entrance of the parliament, watching all these people coming in, beginning to realise the impact they could have on the work of the institutions. And then I would pass by on the street the offices of the lobby firms, the big law firms . . .”

She stresses that while there is nothing wrong with lobbying per se, conflicts of interest must be prevented.

Family life

“Obviously, if the laws that are made here can have a big impact on the company’s bottom line, it stands to reason that there is going to be huge amounts of money spent to influence those lawmakers.

“Again, it is entirely legitimate for MEPs to see who they are going to see, but that should be transparent.”

O’Reilly divides her time between Brussels, Dublin and Strasbourg, where the ombudsman’s main office is located.

The job, she says, is “fantastic”, although the mother-of-five says that balancing family life is always difficult.

“Today is my youngest’s birthday. It’s the first time I’ve missed it,” she says, “though I had a substitute mammy – my best friend and her godmother – to give her gifts this morning and spoil her rotten over the weekend.”

She says family was her “number one” consideration when deciding whether to run last year, and is a constant presence in her life. “I don’t compartmentalise my family. I think as a woman you can’t, it’s constantly there.”

In the coming months O’Reilly’s focus will be her re-election as ombudsman in January. Following the European Parliament elections in May, a new ombudsman must be elected by the new parliament; it is widely expected that O’Reilly will be reappointed. Her term would then run until 2019.