132 annual report 2013 H. MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT The following case concluded in 2013 was selected for publication as part of the Annual Report: 2013-9. Legal delegation of case preparation to law firm In connection with the processing of a specific case, the Ombudsman became aware that the Environmental Board of Appeal had received assistance from the Legal Adviser to the Danish Government (Kammeradvokaten), a private law firm, with processing appeals in a number of specific cases on livestock farming. There was no statutory authority for the Environmental Board of Appeal to delegate tasks in connection with the processing of specific cases in this field to private firms. The Ombudsman therefore opened a case on his own initiative to investigate whether the arrangement had been legal. After investigating the case, the Ombudsman concluded that the assistance which the Legal Adviser to the Danish Government had given to the Environmental Board of Appeal in connection with the processing of the specific cases was in compliance with the general principles of administrative law on the delegation of the exercise of authority to private firms. In his statement, the Ombudsman listed some of the most important conditions which must be met before a public body can legally delegate tasks in connection with case preparation in cases involving decisions to private firms without explicit statutory authority. I. MINISTRY OF HOUSING, URBAN AND RURAL AFFAIRS No cases concluded in 2013 were selected for publication as part of the Annual Report.