European Ombudsman recognises excellence in good administration across EU institutions

European Ombudsman recognises excellence in good administration across EU institutions

Published July 13, 2026

The European Ombudsman has announced the winners of the 2026 Award for Good Administration, recognising innovative projects by European Union institutions, bodies and agencies that have delivered tangible benefits for citizens while promoting the principles of transparency, accountability, accessibility and good administration.

The awards, presented during a ceremony in Brussels on 30 June, celebrate initiatives that demonstrate excellence in public administration and encourage the sharing of best practices across the European Union. This year's ceremony was addressed by the President of the European Court of Auditors, Tony Murphy.

Speaking at the ceremony, the European Ombudswoman, Teresa Anjinho, praised the quality of the 48 projects submitted, noting that they reflected the dedication of EU institutions to public service and their commitment to improving the lives of citizens through good administration.

EU Law Tracker recognised for promoting transparent law making

The award for Excellence in Open Administration was jointly presented to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission for the EU Law Tracker.

The online platform enables citizens to follow the progress of European legislation from the moment a proposal is presented until its final adoption. Through an interactive timeline, users can easily access legislative documents, monitor developments in real time and understand where each proposal stands in the legislative process.

Available in all official EU languages, the EU Law Tracker represents an important step towards making European law making more transparent, accessible and easier to understand. The initiative builds upon commitments made in the 2016 Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law Making and reflects the common commitment of the three institutions to increase openness and public access to legislative information.

Europol receives the overall Good Administration Award

The overall 2026 Good Administration Award was presented to Europol for "Cyber Defenders", an educational game developed on the Roblox platform to help children recognise and respond to online risks.

The game introduces young people to issues such as online fraud, identity theft and online grooming through interactive scenarios designed to strengthen digital resilience and promote safer online behaviour.

Presenting the award, the European Ombudswoman described the initiative as an example of innovative thinking that benefits the youngest members of society while promoting safer use of digital technologies.

Other projects recognised

Category awards were also presented to projects promoting climate action, citizen participation, diversity and inclusion.

The European Commission received the award for Excellence in Citizen and Civil Society Participation for the European Climate Pact, which also won the public vote, while the DiscoverEU Inclusion Action received the award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion for expanding opportunities for young people across Europe.

Promoting a culture of good administration

The European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration highlights initiatives that improve the quality, openness and effectiveness of the European public administration. By recognising innovative projects and sharing successful practices, the award encourages EU institutions to continue developing citizen centred services founded on transparency, accountability and good governance.

The initiatives recognised this year demonstrate how innovation, digital technology and institutional cooperation can make public administration more accessible, responsive and understandable for citizens across the European Union.