Blog – Page 73 – Access Info Europe

European Union Vice President Timmermans called on to act to improve transparency

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:30+01:00

Madrid, 10 December 2014 - Access Info Europe has called for significant improvements to the legal framework and implementation of the right of access to information at the EU level, as the European Commission finalises its work programme this week. In the letter to Vice President Timmermans, Access Info suggests the Commission focus on expanding the scope of Regulation 1049/2001 in line with the Treaty of Lisbon to cover all institutions, offices, bodies and agencies; bring exceptions on access to documents into line with international standards; and to clarify the relationship between the right of access to documents and the

European Union Vice President Timmermans called on to act to improve transparencyHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:30+01:00

Institutional and Donor support needed for online request platforms

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:31+01:00

Madrid, 10 December 2014 - Online access to information request platforms have huge potential for success but are threatened by a lack of institutional acceptance and financial sustainability, according to conclusions drawn in a report by independent researchers for mySociety, the organisation that created the Alaveteli software which powers AsktheEU.org and TuDerechoaSaber.es. Access Info welcomes the findings of the report which are particularly relevant to the AsktheEU.org platform, given the European Commission's new-found resistance to the transparency portal. On 1 April 2014 the Commission implemented a policy to refuse to register requests for access to documents that are not accompanied

Institutional and Donor support needed for online request platformsHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:31+01:00

Disappointing first day for Spain’s access to information law

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:31+01:00

Madrid, 10 December 2014 – The Spanish access to information law entered into force at the central government level on 10 December 2014, but it’s proving near impossible for the public to make requests. Rather than a cause for celebration, it’s been a bit of an anti-climax for the team that founded Access Info Europe, which is headquartered in Spain in part out of the goal of promoting a transparency law in the only country with over a million inhabitants in the European Union and wider European region not to have one. The biggest disappointment for the Access Info Europe

Disappointing first day for Spain’s access to information lawHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:31+01:00

Access Info in the News 2014

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:31+01:00

News Articles from 2014 Une loi espagnole sur la transparence peu convaincante Acteurs Publics | 16/12/2014French - Il aura fallu une décennie à l’Espagne pour adopter une loi sur la transparence de la vie publique et l’accès à l’information des citoyens. Objet de débats houleux depuis 2004, cette loi est entrée en vigueur mercredi 10 décembre. Mais le texte est quasi unanimement contesté pour son “insuffisance” et pour l’“opacité” qu’il maintient. Read more... El Portal de Transparencia nace sin información sobre su coste Eldiario.es | 11/12/2014Spanish - Un Portal de Transparencia poco transparente. Es una de las conclusiones tras buscar

Access Info in the News 2014Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:31+01:00

End impunity for corruption and recognize people’s rights to information and participation

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Hundreds of groups worldwide call for governments to act Madrid, 9 December 2014 - On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, the UNCAC Coalition, an anti-corruption network of 350 public interest groups worldwide and of which Access Info Europe is Europe Region Corrdinator, is calling on governments to get serious about tackling corruption as they agreed when they adopted the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The groups point to a hemorrhaging of public resources and growing inequality and instability around the world due to corruption. One concrete step that governments should take without further delay is to establish a requirement

End impunity for corruption and recognize people’s rights to information and participationHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Spain: Government says “Working Hard” Preparing for Transparency Law

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Madrid, 9 December 2014 -- The Spanish access to information law enters into force at the national level on Wednesday 10 December 2014, but with just one week to go to until citizens can start presenting requests, there is little sign of preparation, with the transparency portal not having been launched and the oversight body, the Transparency Council, not having been formed. In a meeting with Secretary of State for Communication, Carmen Martinez Castro, on Thursday 4 December 2014, an international delegation of freedom of expression organisations was told that the transparency law is a priority for the current Spanish

Spain: Government says “Working Hard” Preparing for Transparency LawHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Proactive lobbying transparency measures welcomed by civil society but loopholes remain

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Madrid – Access Info Europe has welcomed the 25 November decision by the European Commission to proactively publish information about meetings between high level officials and lobbyists, but has raised concerns that the measures do not go far enough and contain loopholes which could seriously undermine the transparency initiative. Of particular concern is the lack of independent criteria for ascertaining whether or not the name of a particular lobbyist should be withheld from the public, with this hinging solely on whether or not the lobbyists provide “unambiguous consent”. This loophole leaves transparency in the hands of the lobbyists, who are

Proactive lobbying transparency measures welcomed by civil society but loopholes remainHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

First International Freedom of Expression Mission to Spain 1-3 December

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Concerns include abuse of defamation laws, regulation of broadcast media, and the right of access to information Madrid, 26 November 2014 - A mission of international freedom of expression experts will visit Spain during 1-3 December 2014 in order to gather information about levels of press freedom, freedom of expression and the right of access to information. The first mission of its kind, it is led by the International Press Institute (IPI) in coordination with Access Info Europe, and includes representatives of leading media freedom groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), the World Association

First International Freedom of Expression Mission to Spain 1-3 DecemberHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

European Commission Vice President challenges institutions to be transparent about meetings with lobbyists

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00

Madrid - This Wednesday, Vice-President Timmermans, responsible for transparency and better regulation, challenged the European Parliament and Council to follow the Commission's lead on lobby transparency. The statement was made after the college of Commissioners debated Jean Claude Juncker's promised to proactively publish information about meetings with lobbyists. The European Commission has announced that, as of 1 December 2014, EU Commissioners, all cabinet staff and high level officials such as Directors General will implement a series of initiatives which, according to Vice President Timmermans, include “full transparency” on Commissioners' agendas and proactive publication of lobby information so that citizens can

European Commission Vice President challenges institutions to be transparent about meetings with lobbyistsHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00

Midiendo impactos medioambientales a través del derecho de acceso a la información

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00

Madrid, 20 de noviembre de 2014 - Las organizaciones Access Info Europe, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Ecologistas en Acción, Fundació Ent, Greenpeace, Oceana, y WWF, han pedido información acerca del posicionamiento del gobierno español sobre la reforma del Reglamento de la Unión Europea sobre la pesca en aguas profundas del Atlántico nororiental, en una carta dirigida a la ministra de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, Isabel García Tejerina. La carta a la ministra García Tejerina incluye ocho preguntas a través de las cuales se pretende descifrar el impacto que la propuesta planteada por la Comisión Europea tendría sobre el sector

Midiendo impactos medioambientales a través del derecho de acceso a la informaciónHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00