Ombudsman
The Ombudsman (Συνήγορος του Πολίτη) is an independent administrative
authority in Greece with the declared goal of mediating between citizens
and the Administration, including public services, Local Government
Organizations (LGOs), Public Law Entities (PDEs), and certain public
utility companies. The mediation aims to protect citizens' rights,
defend them against discrimination, combat maladministration, and ensure
the adherence to the law. The investigation starts upon a timely report
by the citizen, provided that an attempt has been made to resolve the
issue with the entity involved, and if the attempt has been unfruitful
or problematic.
In Greece, this institution was established by the founding law 2477 of 1997. The founding law (2477/1997) and the new law (3094/2003) of the Ombudsman stipulate certain conditions to determine whether the Ombudsman is competent to handle a case.
The Ombudsman is competent for cases related to services of:
- Public sector entities, such as ministries, tax offices, customs, urban planning offices, police stations, prisons, schools, Greek embassies, etc.
- Local government organizations (municipalities, communes, prefectures).
- Other public law entities, such as social security funds, hospitals, universities, employment agencies (OAED, OEK), etc.
- Public utility companies, such as EYDAP, DEI, ELTA, EYATH, etc.
- State legal entities under private law (such as OKANA, KEPI, ELOT, IGME, research universities, etc.), public enterprises, and companies managed directly or indirectly by the public through administrative actions or as shareholders. Banks and the Athens Stock Exchange are excluded.
For the protection of children’s rights, the Ombudsman is also competent for matters involving private entities, whether individuals or legal persons, that violate the rights of children.
Before resorting to the Ombudsman, citizens must have contacted the public service related to their case. Only if this contact with the public service did not lead to a resolution of the issue can a citizen file a report with the Ombudsman.
The report must:
- Be written, but not necessarily in the Greek language.
- Be signed and include the name of the complainant.
- Be submitted by the directly interested party or their legal representative.
- Be addressed explicitly to the Ombudsman, requesting their intervention (not just a simple notification).
- Contain contact details, such as a postal address and telephone number.
Contact Information:
Address:
Hatzigianni Mexi 5,
115 28 Athens, Greece
Phone Number:
(+30) 213 1306 600
In Greece, this institution was established by the founding law 2477 of 1997. The founding law (2477/1997) and the new law (3094/2003) of the Ombudsman stipulate certain conditions to determine whether the Ombudsman is competent to handle a case.
The Ombudsman is competent for cases related to services of:
- Public sector entities, such as ministries, tax offices, customs, urban planning offices, police stations, prisons, schools, Greek embassies, etc.
- Local government organizations (municipalities, communes, prefectures).
- Other public law entities, such as social security funds, hospitals, universities, employment agencies (OAED, OEK), etc.
- Public utility companies, such as EYDAP, DEI, ELTA, EYATH, etc.
- State legal entities under private law (such as OKANA, KEPI, ELOT, IGME, research universities, etc.), public enterprises, and companies managed directly or indirectly by the public through administrative actions or as shareholders. Banks and the Athens Stock Exchange are excluded.
For the protection of children’s rights, the Ombudsman is also competent for matters involving private entities, whether individuals or legal persons, that violate the rights of children.
Before resorting to the Ombudsman, citizens must have contacted the public service related to their case. Only if this contact with the public service did not lead to a resolution of the issue can a citizen file a report with the Ombudsman.
The report must:
- Be written, but not necessarily in the Greek language.
- Be signed and include the name of the complainant.
- Be submitted by the directly interested party or their legal representative.
- Be addressed explicitly to the Ombudsman, requesting their intervention (not just a simple notification).
- Contain contact details, such as a postal address and telephone number.
Contact Information:
Address:
Hatzigianni Mexi 5,
115 28 Athens, Greece
Phone Number:
(+30) 213 1306 600