Commission code aims to raise standards of service

Date: 20/07/2000

By Simon Taylor

EUROPEAN Commission officials will be expected to reply to most letters within 15 working days and answer telephone calls and e-mail messages promptly under a new code of conduct which is due to enter into force by the autumn. Members of the public will also be able to lodge formal complaints if Commission staff fail to abide by the new rules.

The code of good administrative behaviour for officials has been drawn up by Vice-President Neil Kinnock in a bid to improve the service which the EU executive offers the public. "The public legitimately expects quality service and an administration that is open, accessible and properly run," states the draft code, adding that staff should be "courteous, objective, impartial and fair".

Under the code, due to be formally adopted by the full Commission by September, all departments will be expected to reply to most requests for information from the general public within 15 working days. If the deadline cannot be met, the department will be obliged to inform the person requesting the information when they can expect a full response. The deadline was originally going to be set at ten working days but the Commission decided that it would be unrealistic to ask officials to draft a response on technical matters so quickly, especially if the inquiries were in unusual EU languages or required extensive interdepartmental discussions.

When answering telephone calls, Commission officials will be expected to identify themselves and to return calls and e-mail messages "as promptly as possible", although no specific time limit will be set for doing so. Officials will also be able to withhold information if it has not already been published.

If Commission staff fail to comply with the code, members of the public will have the right to lodge a complaint with either the Commission department in question or with the institution's secretariat-general. The relevant director-general or head of department will then be expected to reply within two months.

If the complainant is not satisfied with their response, he or she will have one month to write to the secretary-general asking him to review the outcome of the complaint. In turn, the secretary-general will have one month to respond to the request for a review.

European Commission officials will be expected to reply to most letters within 15 working days and answer telephone calls and e-mail messages promptly under a new code of conduct which is due to enter into force by autumn 2000. Members of the public will also be able to lodge formal complaints if Commission staff fail to abide by the new rules.