Blog – Page 58 – Access Info Europe

Excessive exceptions impede access to draft transparency policy of UN environmental body

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:26+01:00

Madrid, 3 December 2015 - Access Info Europe has raised concerns about unnecessary exceptions to access that have been included in the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) draft transparency policy which, if adopted in its current form, would severely restrict transparency inside the world’s highest environmental-protection authority. As part of a submission to UNEP’s public consultation on the policy, the pro-transparency organisation urged scrapping extra exceptions such as “documents created by the United Nations, received from or sent to third parties, under an expectation of confidentiality”, which fall outside international standards on access to information. “Whilst it is bad enough

Excessive exceptions impede access to draft transparency policy of UN environmental bodyHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:26+01:00

Polétika: Política + ética

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:35+01:00

Le Monde Diplomatique En Español | 01/12/2015 Spanish – La ciudadanía pide ética a la política y que ésta ponga a las personas en el centro. La actual crisis económica ha supuesto una brecha entre los gobernantes y los gobernados que ven cómo sus condiciones de vida merman. Polétika es nuestra apuesta por incidir en los partidos políticos y que éstos respondan a las necesidades de los ciudadanos. Read more…

Polétika: Política + éticaHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:35+01:00

La transparencia que no llega

Helen Darbishire2021-03-04T11:04:52+01:00

Cuatro | 29/11/2015 Spanish – El 10 de diciembre se cumple el primer año de la ley de transparencia. Por ahora ha habido 3.300 solicitudes de información a las administraciones. Son muy pocas, comparadas por ejemplo con Reino Unido, que recibe unas 50.000 al año. ¿Por qué? Las ONGs denuncian que preguntar es difícil en España. El Consejo de Transparencia lo reconoce. Read more...

La transparencia que no llegaHelen Darbishire2021-03-04T11:04:52+01:00

Documents used in decision making are not “internal” rules Spain’s Transparency Council

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Madrid, 27 November 2015 – In another important decision from Spain’s Transparency Council, Access Info Europe has been granted access to Spanish government progress reports on Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitments. The Transparency Council’s decision rejects arguments by the Ministry of the Presidency that these documents, which were used as part of the decision-making process, are “internal documents.” In August 2015, Access Info’s director Helen Darbishire asked for copies of OGP-related documents in order to get an insight into what the government is doing in implementing the action plan. This request was necessary because, unlike in other OGP countries, there

Documents used in decision making are not “internal” rules Spain’s Transparency CouncilHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

“En México, el gobernante buscará hasta el último minuto no dar información”

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Compromiso Empresarial | 24/11/2015 Spanish – Durante los tres días que duró este encuentro de más de 2.000 personas, el Distrito Federal mexicano se llenó de ideas, proyectos y planes para los próximos cuatro años con el fin de implementar los planes de acción para abrir los gobiernos de sus miembros a la sociedad. Read more...

“En México, el gobernante buscará hasta el último minuto no dar información”Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Decision Making Transparency is an Essential Part of Open Government Access Info Europe tells UK FOI Commission

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Madrid, 23 November 2015 – Access Info Europe has warned that any move by the UK government to amend the FOI law by expanding blanket exceptions to decision-making transparency or by extending a political veto over disclosure, would be an attack on international standards. These concerns were set out in a submission to the government-appointed FOI Commission, which has been criticised for being stacked with transparency sceptics. The Commission’s consultation document opened the possibility of extending the use of Cabinet vetoes to block disclosure of information, even after a judicial decision to do so. Access Info Europe called for the

Decision Making Transparency is an Essential Part of Open Government Access Info Europe tells UK FOI CommissionHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Giegold Report Welcomed but Could Be More Ambitious Says Access Info

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Madrid, 20 November 2015 - Access Info Europe today welcomed recommendations by Sven Giegold MEP, Rapporteur for the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, on greater transparency and accountability ofEU institutions, but has warned that they do not go far enough in addressing the need to improve access to EU documents in law and in practice. The pro-transparency organisation pointed to the need for exceptions to the right of access to EU documents be subject to a public interest test, and the importance of removing barriers to access such as the requirement since April 2014 that requesters must supply

Giegold Report Welcomed but Could Be More Ambitious Says Access InfoHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

29 periodistas demandan al Parlamento Europeo

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00

El Mundo | 20/11/2015 Spanish – La Ley de Transparencia española entró en vigor a finales de 2014. Tarde, muy tarde. Este hito histórico sitúa a las instituciones del Estado en el pelotón de cola de los países desarrollados en materia de rendición de cuentas. Por el contrario, desde 2000, la Carta de los Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea garantiza a toda persona física o jurídica a acceder a los documentos de sus tres instituciones insignia: el Parlamento Europeo, el Consejo y la Comisión. Read more...

29 periodistas demandan al Parlamento EuropeoHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00

Access Info presents: The Berlaymont Snail!

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00

It’s just like the good old days: the doorbell rings, and there is the postman with a registered letter – how exciting!! - you sign and open it, but nowadays you are more likely to find it’s a letter from the European Commission refusing to grant access to this or that document. These days we refer to the postal service as “snail mail”. And yes, once again the Berlaymont Snail has arrived in Madrid to deliver a letter to Access Info! Except that the refusal to grant access to information had already arrived ten days ago via AsktheEU.org. The Commission's

Access Info presents: The Berlaymont Snail!Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00

Journalists take European Parliament to Court over access to MEPs’ expenses

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00

Madrid, 20 November 2015 - The refusal by the European Parliament to make public details on spending of MEPs expenses allowances on grounds of personal data protection has been challenged before the European Court of Justice by a network of journalists from each of the 28 Member States. This initiative was started by Slovenian journalist Anuška Delić who discovered that she could get information about the expenses of members of the Slovenian parliament but not about Slovenian MEPs in Brussels. Welcoming the legal challenge, Access Info argued that the European Parliament should be setting a standard for levels of transparency

Journalists take European Parliament to Court over access to MEPs’ expensesHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00