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About Helen Darbishire

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So far Helen Darbishire has created 1914 blog entries.
22 May 2013

Mustafa al-Hawsawi Case

2018-11-13T10:12:42+01:00

Information obtained by Access Info Europe as part of the Rendition project with UK NGO Reprieve, using access to information in order to get information on secret CIA flights, has been used by REDRESS and the Human Rights Monitoring Institute (HRMI) to bring to court a complaint calling for an investigation into allegations that Mustafa al-Hawsawi was illegally transferred to and secretly detained and tortured in Lithuania as part of the CIA-led programme. Access Info Europe together with Reprieve gathered data on flights associated with "extraordinary rendition" - the covert transfer of prisoners by the USA from locations in Europe

Mustafa al-Hawsawi Case2018-11-13T10:12:42+01:00
20 May 2013

Advocate General Opinion issued in European Court of Justice Case

2018-11-13T10:12:42+01:00

AG advises Court to dismiss challenge by Council Luxembourg/Madrid, 16 May 2013 – In the penultimate stage of Access Info’s court case for full access to a document relating to the reform of the EU’s access to documents rules, the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has issued an opinion which advises the Court to dismiss the legal challenge brought by the Council of the EU against the March 2011 decision by the first instance General Court that the Council should provide Access Info Europe with the requested document.

Advocate General Opinion issued in European Court of Justice Case2018-11-13T10:12:42+01:00
19 May 2013

Transparency of the European Central Bank on the Financial Crisis

2020-01-29T11:24:49+01:00

Access Info Europe applies to join key case at European Court of Justice  Madrid, 6 May 2013 – Access Info Europe has applied to the European Court of Justice to intervene in a case which is of great importance to the European public in the context of the financial crisis: the case is about whether we have a right to know what key EU bodies, such as the European Central Bank, know about the financial health of Eurozone Member States. In a letter to the Court sent on 6 May 2013, Access Info Europe asked for leave to intervene in

Transparency of the European Central Bank on the Financial Crisis2020-01-29T11:24:49+01:00
19 May 2013

No news means … no news!

2018-11-13T10:12:43+01:00

Madrid, 20 May 2013 – Spain’s future Transparency Law remains stalled in the Parliament, which continues to invite selected experts to address the Constitutional Commission, although Access Info Europe has not yet been invited to present its criticisms of the draft. A summary of the latest interventions by experts such as Soledad Becerril, Àngels Barbarà, Borja Bergareche, Ignacio Escolar and Manuel Villoria, can be found here. There is also no news on Spain’s Open Government Partnership plans: the action plan presented to the OGP in April 2012 is still unavailable in Spanish on any government website, and there has been

No news means … no news!2018-11-13T10:12:43+01:00
15 May 2013

The lobby battle around data privacy

2021-03-29T15:57:05+02:00

Brussels, 15 May 2013 – The European Commission has proposed new regulation on data protection, which is currently being debated in the European Parliament. However, it threatens the commercial interests of big corporations who are currently making millions from collecting and selling our private data. Big corporation are trying to do everything in their power to water down the new regulation and protect their profits at the expense of our privacy. According to Commission Vice-President Reding, who is responsible for the proposal, it is some of the most aggressive industry lobbying she has ever witnessed.

The lobby battle around data privacy2021-03-29T15:57:05+02:00
9 May 2013

New Guide on Access to EU Documents

2018-11-13T10:12:43+01:00

Madrid, 9 May 2013 – To celebrate Europe Day, Access Info is launching a citizen-friendly Guide on Access to EU Documents and is calling on members of the public and civil society organisations to exercise their rights and file access to documents requests. The EU has recognised a fundamental right of access to EU documents, but the EU's freedom of information law – which goes by the catchy title of 'Regulation 1049/2001' – remains underused by the population at large. The new guide demystifies the process of asking for EU documents explaining step by step how to make a request.

New Guide on Access to EU Documents2018-11-13T10:12:43+01:00
9 May 2013

Citizens trip to Brussels: Figuring out the European Union Institutions

2018-11-13T10:12:43+01:00

Citizens trip to Brussels: Figuring out the European Union Institutions Brussels, 18 November 2012 – As part of the EU Citizens Project, 46 citizens from 6 countries in Europe had the opportunity to travel to Brussels, from the 14 to 16 November 2012, as part of a trip organised to bring citizens closer to the EU institutions and to encourage them to participate. On the morning of the first day, two groups of citizens started the “lobby tour” in the European quarter of Brussels, listening to explanations from lobby experts, Oliver Hoedeman, Pascoe Sabido and Richard Tabsey of Corporate Europe

Citizens trip to Brussels: Figuring out the European Union Institutions2018-11-13T10:12:43+01:00
6 May 2013

Missed dead-line and no political will

2018-11-13T10:12:44+01:00

Missed dead-line and no political will Brussels, 6 May 2013 – The Commission have prepared a State of Play (28/02/2013) outlining what progress had been made since its last State of Play (06/09/2012) and how far it has gone towards meeting the conditions outlined by the European Parliament in terms of preventing industry dominance of these influential advisory groups. However, while the Commission claims civil society has an important role to play in monitoring how it’s coming along, it has failed to make the State of Play public. ALTER-EU managed to obtain a copy, and in the name of transparency

Missed dead-line and no political will2018-11-13T10:12:44+01:00
3 May 2013

Italy: The Silent State

2018-11-13T10:12:44+01:00

Unsatisfactory (73%) versus satisfactory (27%) responses to requests • Italian public institutions do not answer, refuse or gave inadequate answers to 73% of requests from citizens and the media; • Only 27% of 300 rquests resulted in release of information, of which just 13% received full information. Perugia, 25 April 2013 – Italians are asking questions but the Italian government gives very few answers: The findings of the first and most extensive access to information monitoring ever carried out in Italy show that almost three times out of four, requests for information on matters such as public expenditure, health, environment

Italy: The Silent State2018-11-13T10:12:44+01:00
28 Apr 2013

OLAF’s investigation report on Dalligate leaked

2018-11-13T10:12:44+01:00

  Brussels, 28 April 2013 – Whatever emerges as the real reason for Mr. Dalli’s resignation, the Dalli case shows that the Commission urgently needs more rigorous transparency and ethics rules to avoid undue influence. Instead of the current vaguely-worded Code of Conduct and Staff Regulation, the Commission needs clear rules around its contacts with lobbyists, for instance on matters like meetings set up by acquaintances acting as lobby consultants. There is also a need for stricter and mandatory ethics rules for lobbyists, replacing those laid out in the code of conduct connected to the voluntary Transparency Register.

OLAF’s investigation report on Dalligate leaked2018-11-13T10:12:44+01:00
Original content developed by Access Info Europe and is made public under a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike licence.