This booklet is intended for the staff of EU institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies.

As someone working for an institution, it is quite possible that — at some stage in your career — you will be involved in responding to a complaint. The complaint may be addressed to your institution directly, or it may come via the European Ombudsman. It is also possible that you may consider lodging a complaint with the Ombudsman yourself.

This booklet has been designed to help you better understand the Ombudsman’s approach to complaint-handling and to administrative problems. It explains how best to respond to complaints that the Ombudsman brings to your attention and how to avoid complaints in the first place. It also explains what the Ombudsman can specifically do to help you.