The European Parliament adopted Mrs Astrid THORS' (ELDR, Fin) resolution on the activities of the European Ombudsman in 1999. It endorses the attempts to achieve greater transparency and openness. The need to provide the Ombudsman's service with adequate resources to deal with a growing number of complaints is emphasised. The resolution reaffirms the Parliament's determination to support the Ombudsman in his bid to have access to all relevant documents without interference from the authorities.
Furthermore, his role in interpreting EU law and its application is also recognised and there is emphasis on the need to draw up "a good code of administrative behaviour" applicable to relations between EU officials and the general public. The is a call on the Commission to include a specific reference to petitions and complaints in its annual report on EU law. Parliament also wants to see a new inter-institutional agreement to deal with complaints. It believes there is a need to amend the statute of the Ombudsman to make public access to documents easier.�