Press Release: Ombudsman urges EU leaders to agree to more transparency in the Council

The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, on 13 June 2006 welcomed the initiative of the Austrian EU presidency proposing that the Council open more of its debates to the public. According to the Ombudsman the Austrian proposals were a step in the right direction but might still allow some legislative debates to be held in secret. He called on the EU Heads of State and Government to prove their commitment to making the Union more accessible to its citizens at the forthcoming EU summit on 15-16 June 2006 when these proposals were to be discussed.