40 years since accession. 'Often the European Union has been a beacon for social policies in the country'

Portugal's accession to the European Union was 40 years ago, and the path taken since then has also been one of greater concern for citizens and of bringing them closer to European institutions. The European Ombudsman was created to ensure that rapprochement, to give meaning to Europeans' complaints, to guarantee the transparency of decisions and to show that Brussels is not a distant place imposing rules without listening to people.