Blog – Page 21 – Access Info Europe

Transparency as a Priority for the UN General Assembly Special Session on Corruption

Helen Darbishire2020-07-15T14:11:30+02:00

Madrid, 15 July 2020 - Access Info Europe has called for the right of access to information to be treated as priority during the first UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) against corruption, to be held in April 2021 in New York. In its submission to preparation of the UNGASS, Access Info recalls that the United Nations Convention against Corruption UNCAC establishes that States Party should establish specific mechanisms to implement the right of information. “To end corruption it is not enough to prosecute the corrupt once the crime has been committed. It is essential to work to prevent corrupt

Transparency as a Priority for the UN General Assembly Special Session on CorruptionHelen Darbishire2020-07-15T14:11:30+02:00

Why continued support for transparency is essential to recovering from the coronavirus crisis

Helen Darbishire2020-07-13T10:08:05+02:00

Madrid, 13 July 2020 – Access Info Europe has joined 83 civil society organisations from around the world in calling on donors to continue funding transparency and accountability in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis. In an open letter, the signatories welcomed efforts by donors to redirect funds towards potential new needs arising from the covid-19 pandemic, but also stressed the need to keep investment in civil society work on access to information and data disclosure during the recovery phase and beyond. “It has become crystal clear during the past four months that transparent, open,

Why continued support for transparency is essential to recovering from the coronavirus crisisHelen Darbishire2020-07-13T10:08:05+02:00

Pro Bono Network: Lawyers for Transparency

Helen Darbishire2021-06-02T13:07:03+02:00

Madrid, 9 July 2020 – Access Info Europe has created a pro bono legal network of lawyers from across Europe with varying legal backgrounds who are willing to offer assistance to requesters seeking access to EU documents, in particular journalists and civil society organisations. The first training of these lawyers took place on 8 June 2020, when the pro bono lawyers heard from lawyers who are leading experts in EU transparency. Onno Brouwer and Elske Raedts, addressed the main exceptions used to withhold documents at the EU level and identified key pro transparency cases from the Court of Justice of

Pro Bono Network: Lawyers for TransparencyHelen Darbishire2021-06-02T13:07:03+02:00

Nace “Abre”, una coalición para la protección de las personas alertadoras y denunciantes

Helen Darbishire2020-07-08T15:32:38+02:00

La Vanguardia | 08/07/2020 In Spanish- Tras la reciente constitución del Grupo de Trabajo de la Comisión General de codificación, ordenado por el Ministerio de Justicia el pasado 02 de junio del 2020, para la transposición de la Directiva (UE) 2019/1937 del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo, de 23 de octubre de 2019, relativa a la protección de las personas que informen sobre infracciones del derecho de la Unión, se ha constituido una coalición de asociaciones llamada ABRE, para reclamar que esta sea participativa y cuenten con la sociedad civil. Read more...

Nace “Abre”, una coalición para la protección de las personas alertadoras y denunciantesHelen Darbishire2020-07-08T15:32:38+02:00

Moncloa no cumple “con la transparencia y las normas de buen gobierno”, según el Consejo de Transparencia

Helen Darbishire2020-07-06T16:55:00+02:00

03/07/2020 | Maldita.es In Spanish-La Secretaría General de la Presidencia del Gobierno “no cumple con la consideración de la transparencia, el acceso a la información pública y las normas de buen gobierno como ejes fundamentales de toda acción política”. Read more...

Moncloa no cumple “con la transparencia y las normas de buen gobierno”, según el Consejo de TransparenciaHelen Darbishire2020-07-06T16:55:00+02:00

La Comisión para la Reconstrucción termina con pocas expectativas en cuanto a resultados, pero con avances en transparencia

Helen Darbishire2021-03-04T11:03:48+01:00

Newtral | 27/06/2020 In Spanish- Esta semana, la Comisión para la Reconstrucción en el Congreso ha terminado su trabajo. Han sido semanas de actividad en las que los diputados que forman este grupo —subdividido a su vez en cuatro áreas— han recibido a representantes del Gobierno, expertos de distintas áreas o miembros de la sociedad civil, así como propuestas ciudadanas. Read more...

La Comisión para la Reconstrucción termina con pocas expectativas en cuanto a resultados, pero con avances en transparenciaHelen Darbishire2021-03-04T11:03:48+01:00

The urgent need for data collection on gender equality in Europe

Helen Darbishire2022-10-26T12:39:14+02:00

Madrid, 25 June 2020 – The lack of publication of SDG data on Gender Equality in Europe is partly down to many countries not having laws requiring it to be collected, according to participants in a webinar on “Opening Up SDG 5” held by Access Info Europe on 18 June 2020. As a result, civil society organisations don’t have the data to engage in evidence-based policy debates. Access Info found in a recent survey which looked into the publication of SDG data that, on average, only 57% of gender equality data was published across Europe. Discussing the reasons behind

The urgent need for data collection on gender equality in EuropeHelen Darbishire2022-10-26T12:39:14+02:00

Access Info joins the UNCAC Coalition Board

Helen Darbishire2020-06-17T18:27:26+02:00

Madrid, 17 June 2020 – Access Info Europe, represented by its director, Helen Darbishire, has been elected to the UNCAC Coalition Coordinating Committee, the network that coordinates civil society activity in monitoring and promoting the UN Convention against Corruption. Access Info was elected to one of the two international seats on the UNCAC Coalition Coordinating Committee, with 75.7% of the votes cast in the first round of voting. Access Info joins Transparency International, represented by Gillian Dell, as the two international organisations on the UNCAC Coalition Board. In its nomination for the UNCAC Coalition Coordinating Committee, Access Info identified three

Access Info joins the UNCAC Coalition BoardHelen Darbishire2020-06-17T18:27:26+02:00

EU urged to end SLAPPs: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation

Helen Darbishire2020-06-10T19:01:09+02:00

Madrid, 9 June 2020 – Access Info Europe today joined 119 NGOs from across Europe in calling on the European Union to protect freedom of expression and information by acting to end the use of gag lawsuits to harass and silence investigative journalists and public interest defenders. In an open letter, the organisations expressed their concern about SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which are brought by powerful actors intending to intimidate and prevent watchdogs such as journalists, activists, trades unions, media, and civil society organisations, from holding them accountable. The organisations warned about the harmful effects of this type

EU urged to end SLAPPs: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public ParticipationHelen Darbishire2020-06-10T19:01:09+02:00

Researching Government Contracts for COVID-19 Spending

Helen Darbishire2020-06-03T16:24:40+02:00

Global Investigative Journalism Network | 03/06/2020 As countries rapidly spend billions of dollars to fight the coronavirus pandemic, digging into government contracts is taking on a new urgency. The crisis poses new challenges. Officials are using emergency purchasing procedures, creating barriers to public disclosure, and slowing down their handling of requests under freedom of information laws. Read more...

Researching Government Contracts for COVID-19 SpendingHelen Darbishire2020-06-03T16:24:40+02:00