Blog – Page 28 – Access Info Europe

Contest: Digital solution for citizen participation

Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:49:27+01:00

You have an idea for a new app or platform which can enable better communication and cooperation of citizens in addressing the problems of their communities? You think that digital democracy can support higher inclusion of citizens in policy-making? If your answers to these questions are positive, we invite you to share your idea about innovative digital solution which would strengthen citizen activism and improve the communication between citizens and decision-makers. We will select maximum 5 best ideas, while a grant award in the amount of 2,000 Euros will be awarded to the winner with the aim of developing the

Contest: Digital solution for citizen participationHelen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:49:27+01:00

2019 European Elections: an evaluation of the political manifestos

Helen Darbishire2019-05-31T12:06:24+02:00

A few hours away from the European Elections, Access Info invites for European citizens to elect their next representatives. Because well informed voting is crucial for our future, we evaluated the electoral programs of five countries in which the representation is high, for their transparency in European Union activities. Among these countries are: France, Germany, Italy, Spain (only available in Spanish), and the United Kingdom. The methodology used is as follows: Thematic Choice: A number of transparency-related topics have been evaluated. Transparency of decision making within the EU institutions and in the processes are two of them. Legislative initiative, transparency

2019 European Elections: an evaluation of the political manifestosHelen Darbishire2019-05-31T12:06:24+02:00

Electoral program evaluations in collaboration with Poletika

Helen Darbishire2020-02-14T11:13:06+01:00

Madrid, 24 April 2019 - For several years, as a member of the Poletika platform, Access Info Europe has evaluated the transparency commitments in the election manifestos of Spain’s political parties. These evaluations are published on Poletika’s webpage as part of the section on Democratic Quality (in Spanish: Calidad Democrática). In line with our commitment to transparency, we are publishing the methodology by which we made these evaluations. The evaluation is divided into five sub categories of equal importance, each assessed on a 2-point rating system for a total of 10 possible points. Recognition of access to information as a

Electoral program evaluations in collaboration with PoletikaHelen Darbishire2020-02-14T11:13:06+01:00

Spain: Access Info calls on Government to use Regulation to strengthen the Transparency Law

Helen Darbishire2020-02-14T11:13:28+01:00

Madrid, 5 April 2019 – In its comments submitted to the public consultation on the draft Regulation for Spain’s 2013 Transparency Law, Access Info has urged the government to take the opportunity to strengthen the right of access to information, with measures such as simplifying the request procedures. Specifically, Access Info has recommended that the new Regulation permit requests by email in place of the current complicated process whereby only persons with a an electronic ID or digital certificate and make requests via the Transparency Portal. “It is especially worrying that in Spain so few requests are made because of

Spain: Access Info calls on Government to use Regulation to strengthen the Transparency LawHelen Darbishire2020-02-14T11:13:28+01:00

Access Info Europe helps create the CONSUL Democracy Foundation

Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:40:21+01:00

22 March 2019 – Access Info Europe, together with civil society partners from across Europe, meeting today in Amsterdam, created a new foundation to promote citizen engagement in decision making using the CONSUL participation platform. The CONSUL Democracy Foundation will promote citizen participation worldwide and will oversee the use and development of the largest open source digital democracy platform – CONSUL, a citizen participation tool currently in use by over 100 institutions in 35 countries. CONSUL is an open source platform, whose development was started by Madrid City Council in 2015 and has since been taken up and expanded by municipalities

Access Info Europe helps create the CONSUL Democracy FoundationHelen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:40:21+01:00

Access Info once again urges Spain to recognise access to information as a fundamental right

Helen Darbishire2019-04-17T10:53:20+02:00

Madrid, 12 April 2019 – When Spain elects a new government on 28 April 2019, one of its pending tasks is to ensure that the weak transparency law is reformed to meet international standards, and to recognise a fundamental right in line with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. To this end, Access Info has proposed that in its next Open Government Partnership Action Plan, Spain commits to recognise the right to information, with measures such as removing identification requirements for requesters and ensuring that the law applies to all branches of power not just the executive

Access Info once again urges Spain to recognise access to information as a fundamental rightHelen Darbishire2019-04-17T10:53:20+02:00

Spain: Right to request information limited to citizens with valid ID, email, and a mobile phone

Helen Darbishire2020-07-07T12:27:01+02:00

Madrid, 12 April 2019: The Spanish government has announced a new system for identifying people who want to submit a request for information under the 2013 transparency law: you need to give your name, your official Spanish-issued ID number, your email, and your mobile phone number. Access Info Europe, the Madrid-based right to information organisation, today criticised this system as it discriminates against any requester who is not a citizen or resident of Spain or who does not have a mobile phone. “The right to information is a fundamental human right so everyone should be able to exercise it, irrespective

Spain: Right to request information limited to citizens with valid ID, email, and a mobile phoneHelen Darbishire2020-07-07T12:27:01+02:00

Members of European Parliament vote for transparency about who lobbies them

Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T11:06:57+01:00

With a difference of four votes, there is now more transparency in lobbying of Members of the European Parliament. The European Parliament voted for MEPs to publish online information about meetings with lobbyist on 31 January 2019. The vote had to be approved by at least 376 votes for an amendment to its Rules of Procedure. With a total of 630 members of the European Parliament, 380 were for the proposal, 224 against, and 26 abstained. Now whenever members of the European Parliament interact with lobbyist their scheduled meetings and notes must be published online. For more information: https://sven-giegold.de/groundbreaking-success-lobby-transparency/

Members of European Parliament vote for transparency about who lobbies themHelen Darbishire2020-01-29T11:06:57+01:00

European Parliament leaders vote against spending transparency

Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:40:48+01:00

Madrid, 3 July 2018 – Access Info condemns the move by the European Parliament to keep secret details how Member of the European Parliament (MEPs) spend their general expenditure allowance, a lump sum amount of €4,342 per month. The vote on the evening of 2 July by the Bureau of the European Parliament, a body of 14 senior MEPs, which oversees budget and administration matters, voted down a proposal to increase transparency around the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA), which would have resulted in requiring receipts to be kept and checked and unspent funds to be returned. The 2 July

European Parliament leaders vote against spending transparencyHelen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:40:48+01:00

Montenegro: Analysis of 2017 amendments finds that they seriously undermine the Law on Free Access to Information

Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T11:14:13+01:00

Access Info and MANS call for a working group on reform of the law, possibly as part of Montenegro’s re-established OGP process Madrid/Podgorica, 28 June 2018: Access Info Europe and MANS today called on the Montenegrin government to undo its 2017 amendments to Law on Free Access to Information (originally adopted in 2006) in order to bring it back into line with international standards. In an analysis of the Law also launched today, Access Info and MANS signalled that a particular concern is Article 1, newly added in 2017, which contains a series of class exclusions such

Montenegro: Analysis of 2017 amendments finds that they seriously undermine the Law on Free Access to InformationHelen Darbishire2020-01-29T11:14:13+01:00