In this respect, we have set ourselves two targets. The first is to decide on the admissibility of complaints within one month. The second is that an inquiry into a complaint should normally be closed by a reasoned decision within one year. The first target seems to be quite possible to reach and maintain. We have no complaints pending a decision on admissibility from last year.
More work needs to be done, however, to reach the second target.
For the time being, we still have 30 cases open from the year 1997. It is of the utmost importance to tackle the backlog of cases where the inquiry has gone on for longer than one year. My experience is that backlogs of complaints can easily turn into a permanent feature of an ombudsman's office, unless the problem is tackled vigorously when it occurs. So I still hope that, with the additional resources which have been made available from next July, the ambitious target of closing complaints after an inquiry within one year will be achieved in the future. The results of cooperation with the European Parliament As today could be the last opportunity during this legislature for discussion of our mutual cooperation in the Committee on Petitions and with the European Parliament, it is perhaps the right moment to try to summarize what we have achieved together so far.