Reporting a breach of your EU rights
- Introduction
- Information on EU rights
- Complaints about Irish state bodies
- Complaints about businesses
- Data protection
- Complaints about EU bodies
- Contacts
Introduction
EU citizens have rights that are set out in the EU treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
This page has information about organisations you can contact to get information or lodge a complaint if you think your EU rights have not been upheld.
Contact details for the institutions listed below are in the ‘Contacts’ section.
Information on EU rights
Europe Direct
If you have questions about your rights as a European Union (EU) citizen, Europe Direct provides a free telephone and email service that acts as a first point of contact. It offers information on many EU topics and can refer users to the best source of advice at EU, national, regional and local levels.
Europe Direct services in Ireland are provided through Libraries Ireland.
Your Europe Advice
Your Europe Advice is a team of independent legal experts that provides free advice on your rights in the EU. It can clarify if EU law applies in your case and explain how you can exercise your EU rights. You can submit your query through a web form.
You can also make an appointment for a consultation with a Your Europe Legal Adviser through the European Commission Representation in Ireland.
Complaints about Irish state bodies
European Commission
If you consider that there is a breach of EU law by the Irish authorities, you may make a formal complaint to the European Commission. The Commission will investigate your complaint and if your complaint is upheld, may ask the Government to ensure that your rights are respected or may take the Government to the European Court of Justice.
SOLVIT
SOLVIT is a free service that can help EU citizens and businesses who are facing obstacles to having their EU rights recognised by public authorities in another country in the EU.
SOLVIT works as part of the national Government of each member state, so there is a network of SOLVIT centres across the EU.
Complaints about businesses
Consumer protection organisations
Many of your rights as a consumer in Ireland come from EU law. These rights are enforced by consumer protection bodies in Ireland.
If you have a consumer complaint about a company that is based in another EU country, you can contact the European Consumer Centre.
Financial services
FIN-NET is a network of national organisations responsible for settling consumers' complaints in the area of financial services out of court.
The Irish Fin-Net member organisation is the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman.
Data protection
Your data is protected under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). You can access the personal data that is held on you by businesses, organisations and state bodies. How your personal data is stored and protected is set out in law.
If you have a complaint about how your personal data is stored or processed, you should contact the Data Protection Commission.
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is responsible for monitoring the processing of personal data by EU institutions and bodies. If you are unhappy with how an EU institution or body has stored or processed your data, you can lodge a complaint with the EDPS.
Complaints about EU bodies
European Commission Code of Good Behaviour for relations with the public
The Commission has a Code of Good Administrative Behaviour for its relations with the public. It is legally binding on the Commission as an institution and on individual staff of the Commission. If you feel the Commission has failed to comply with this code you can submit a complaint to the Commission electronically or by post.
The European Ombudsman
The European Ombudsman examines complaints about maladministration (for example, unnecessary delay) by EU institutions.
European Parliament Petitions Committee
The European Parliament has a Petitions Committee, which hears complaints from citizens about matters related to the EU. It does not have the power to implement its decisions but it is influential. A petition may be written or submitted online.
The Court of Justice of the European Union
The Court of Justice of the European Union is the EU court to which issues of EU law are referred. Individuals have limited rights of direct access to this court.