About Helen Darbishire

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So far Helen Darbishire has created 1914 blog entries.
14 Apr 2014

Access Info Europe challenges lack of transparency in Spain at European Court of Human Rights

2018-11-13T10:11:52+01:00

Madrid, 14 April 2014 - Access Info Europe today presented a case against Spain at the European Court of Human Rights challenging the refusal to recognise a right of access to information following a seven-year legal battle to obtain information from the Ministry of Justice about anti-corruption measures. The case has been presented to the Strasbourg Court after Spain’s Constitutional Court last year rejected an appeal based on the freedom of expression provisions of the Constitution (Article 20.1.a) and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. “In a country plagued by corruption scandals, the failure to recognise a

Access Info Europe challenges lack of transparency in Spain at European Court of Human Rights2018-11-13T10:11:52+01:00
14 Apr 2014

Civil society call on Irish Government to commit to dropping access to information fees as part of Ireland’s 1st OGP action plan

2018-11-13T10:11:52+01:00

Dublin, 14 April 2014 - Ireland's first Open Government Partneship (OGP) action plan should contain a commitment to abolish fees for making access to information requests according to civil society in an open letter to the Irish Minister for Reform, Brendan Howlin. The letter follows campaigning in late 2013 to get fees abolished, and has been published given the upcoming OGP European Regional Meeting to take place in Dublin on 8-9 May. The letter, signed by Access Info Europe and 28 other civil society organisations and over 40 individuals, more specifically challenges the charging of up-front fees for FOI requests

Civil society call on Irish Government to commit to dropping access to information fees as part of Ireland’s 1st OGP action plan2018-11-13T10:11:52+01:00
10 Apr 2014

You are invited to participate in an open debate about transparency and lobby influence in Europe with European Parliament candidates

2018-11-13T10:11:52+01:00

You are invited to participate in an open debate about transparency and lobby influence in Europe with European Parliament candidates Madrid, 10 April 2014 – As a part of the campaign , Access Info has organised an open debate on Wednesday 23 April on the European elections. The event will take place at the Press Association of Madrid (Asociación de la prensa de Madrid) with the participation (to be confirmed) of European election candidates from Popular Party, Socialist Party (PSOE), Union for Progress and Democracy, United Left, Equo and representatives of other parties. Candidates will discuss the issues of transparency,

You are invited to participate in an open debate about transparency and lobby influence in Europe with European Parliament candidates2018-11-13T10:11:52+01:00
8 Apr 2014

Spanish institutions ignored 57% of access to information requests during 2013, the ‘year of transparency’

2018-11-13T10:11:53+01:00

» Administrative silence increased with respect to 2012 despite the fact institutions should be working already to meet the requirements of the new law » Only 13% of requests received the information asked for » Whilst Spanish Autonomous Communities were better at responding, municipalities and other local levels ignored 81% of requests made – an increase of more than 11% compared to the previous year » Access Info Europe and Fundación Ciudadana Civio present the Tuderechoasaber.es Report 2013, analysing access to information requests sent to Spanish institutions Madrid, 9 April 2014 – In 2013, the year the Spanish Transparency Law

Spanish institutions ignored 57% of access to information requests during 2013, the ‘year of transparency’2018-11-13T10:11:53+01:00
3 Apr 2014

Access Info Europe Discusses Transparency with Spanish Government

2018-11-13T10:11:53+01:00

Madrid, 3 April 2014 – Access Info and the Foundation Civio met on Wednesday 2 April 2014 with senior representatives of the Spanish government to discuss a range of transparency issues, including implementation of the access to information law (due to come into force on 10 December 2014), Spain’s second Open Government Partnership Action Plan, and moves by the Spanish Parliament to regulate lobbying. This is the first time in two years that Access Info has had a formal meeting with government representatives to review transparency issues. The meeting was held with State Secretary for Parliamentary Relations, José Luis Ayllón

Access Info Europe Discusses Transparency with Spanish Government2018-11-13T10:11:53+01:00
3 Apr 2014

Civil society calls for deeper government commitments on aid transparency ahead of High Level Meeting in Mexico

2020-02-14T11:19:53+01:00

Madrid, 10 April 2014 - Ministers and heads of agencies and multilateral organisations working on development need to accelerate and deepen commitments on aid transparency according to the more than 50 civil society organisations from across the world that have signed a letter to be sent to governments before the first High Level Meeting (HLM) of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation in Mexico on 15–16 April 2014. Next week, the world’s development actors will meet at the first High Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation in Mexico. The meeting is an opportunity to kick-start efforts to

Civil society calls for deeper government commitments on aid transparency ahead of High Level Meeting in Mexico2020-02-14T11:19:53+01:00
31 Mar 2014

Access Info Europe condemns police violence against the press during weekend protests in Spain

2018-11-13T10:11:54+01:00

Madrid, 31 March 2014 – Various journalists were directly attacked by the police whilst covering a protest on Saturday 29 March 2014. The following video was filmed by journalists covering the protest, who soon became the target of police agression also: Access Info Europe today expressed concern that such attacks interfere directly with press freedom and the free flow of information, and are likely to have a chilling effect on the work of journalists in covering street demonstrations and other similar events.

Access Info Europe condemns police violence against the press during weekend protests in Spain2018-11-13T10:11:54+01:00
19 Mar 2014

Victoria Anderica reports on the lack of transparency around Spain’s migrant internment centres in ‘El Objetivo’

2018-11-13T10:11:54+01:00

Madrid, 17 March 2014 - Victoria Anderica from Access Info Europe participated yesterday in the television programme 'El Objetivo', in Spanish TV channel La Sexta, to talk about the lack of transparency surrounding migrant internment centres in Spain (Centros de Internamiento de Extranjeros, CIEs). "In Spain we haven’t been able to access information about the CIEs, and this makes it very difficult for civil society to work on this area," said Victoria Anderica. You can watch the whole interview in Spanish here. Campaign on the right to information about CIEs Since 2013, Access Info Europe along with the Global Detention

Victoria Anderica reports on the lack of transparency around Spain’s migrant internment centres in ‘El Objetivo’2018-11-13T10:11:54+01:00
12 Mar 2014

Business Transparency

2018-11-13T10:11:54+01:00

Businesses hold much information needed to combat corruption, to achieve tax justice, to identify influences on power, and to track those involved in human rights and environmental violations around the world. Access Info supports further efforts around Europe to expand transparency surrounding the activities of business, and we specifically campaign to increase access to company registers by using the right of access to information to make a case for open and public access. Our goal is also to map out current levels of current company register data and to open up company ownership information to the public. Access Info Europe

Business Transparency2018-11-13T10:11:54+01:00
11 Mar 2014

Access Info Europe addresses Spanish Secretary of State José Luis Ayllón about Transparency Law

2018-11-13T10:11:55+01:00

Madrid, 11 March 2014 – Today Access Info Europe and the Fundación Ciudadana Civio addressed the Spanish Secretary of State, José Luis Ayllón Manso, to find out about the current state and evolution of the Transparency, Access to Information and Good Governance Law, after its approval last December. The letter sent to Mr. Ayllón, signed by Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe, and David Cabo, Director of the Fundación Ciudadana Civio, raised a series of questions regarding the implementation of the new law, the progression of the regulation of the law, and other Open Government and lobby regulation

Access Info Europe addresses Spanish Secretary of State José Luis Ayllón about Transparency Law2018-11-13T10:11:55+01:00