European Ombudsman

Definition

The European Ombudsman is an independent and impartial body that holds the EU's administrative activities accountable. It investigates complaints about maladministration in EU institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies.

Analogy

Think of the European Ombudsman as a school principal. Just like how a principal ensures that all teachers and staff are doing their jobs correctly and treating students fairly, the ombudsman makes sure that all parts of the EU are operating properly and treating citizens fairly.

Related terms

European Parliament: This is the legislative branch of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Like a school's student council, it represents people's interests at a higher level.

Administrative Law: This is a branch of law that governs the operations of government agencies. It's like the rulebook for how teachers should behave in school.

Maladministration: This refers to inefficient or dishonest administration. Imagine if a teacher was consistently late to class or gave out grades randomly - this would be considered maladministration.