What is the Greek Ombudsman ?

The Greek Ombudsman is a constitutionally sanctioned Independent Authority. It was founded in October 1998 and operates under the provisions of Law 3094/2003. The Ombudsman provides its services to the public free of charge, and received more than 82.535 complaints during its eight first years of operation (from 1 October 1998 to 31 December 2006).

The Greek Ombudsman investigates individual administrative actions or omissions or material actions taken by government departments or public services that infringe upon the personal rights or violate the legal interests of individuals or legal entities.

Before submitting a complaint to the Greek Ombudsman, the complainant should first come into contact with the public service involved with his or her case. Only if the problem is not resolved by the service concerned should a complaint be submitted to the Ombudsman.

The offices of the Greek Ombudsman are in Athens (Hadziyanni Mexi 5, near the Hilton Hotel, Postal Code 115 28), where complaints are accepted from anyone, regardless of nationality, who has a problem with a Greek public service, anywhere in Greece or abroad. The office is open from 8.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Complaints may also be submitted by fax: (210) 72 92 129.

What does the Greek Ombudsman do?

The principal mission of the Greek Ombudsman is to mediate between the public administration and citizens, in order to help citizens exercise their rights effectively. The Greek Ombudsman also:

• defends and promotes children's rights
• promotes equal treatment and fights discrimination in the public sector based on race or ethnicity, religious or other conviction, disability, age or sexual orientation
• promotes and monitors the equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment both in the public and the private sector.

As a mediator, the Greek Ombudsman makes recommendations and proposals to the public administration. The Ombudsman does not impose sanctions or annul illegal actions by the public administration.

The complaints citizens submit are investigated i n terms of thematic categories , which correspond to five different areas of activity in the Institution : a) The Human Rights Department , b) The Health and Social Welfare Department , c) The Quality of Life Department , d) The State-Citizen Relations Department and e) The Child ren's Rights Department .

Who can have recourse to the Greek Ombudsman?

Any Greek or foreign citizen living in Greece or abroad and dealing with the Greek public administration. Legal entities or groups of people also have recourse to the Greek Ombudsman.

For What Cause ?

• When actions or lack of action by the public administration infringe upon an individual's rights or harm his or her legal interests. Before submitting a complaint, however, applicants should first seek redress from the public administration unit involved.
• When actions or lack of action by the public administration or private i ndividuals infringe upon a right of the child.