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Access Info Europe endorses International Principles on Surveillance

2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Madrid, 24 February 2014 – Access Info Europe today formally signed the International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance, and reiterated its call for greater transparency of state surveillance of private communications. "In spite of the scandal which followed the Snowden revelations, we still have insufficient information about the nature, scale, and use by states of surveillance of private individuals," said Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe. In November 2013, Access Info Europe and the Web Foundation initiated a letter, signed by 140 civil society organisations and individual leaders and thinkers including Aruna Roy

Access Info Europe endorses International Principles on Surveillance2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Country case study: United Kingdom

2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Is media ownership transparent? In law YES FOR BROADCAST MEDIA ONLY In practice NO IN LAW Under the Broadcasting Act 1990 and Communications Act 2003 it is possible to find out who owns the broadcast media through information reported to media authority, the Office for Communications (Ofcom). The law does not state what information should be disclosed but leaves it to the discretion of Ofcom to request all the information it deems necessary. In practice this may include information on the size of shareholdings, beneficial owners and those with indirect interests and control if Ofcom requests such information. These requirements

Country case study: United Kingdom2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Country case study: Norway

2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Is media ownership transparent? In law YES In practice NO IN LAW According to the law, it is possible to finds out who owns print, broadcast and online media in Norway through information reported to the Norwegian Media Authority. Under the 1997 Media Ownership Act, on the request of the Norwegian Media Authority, all media must report sufficient information for their owners to be identified. It should be noted that, in common with Luxembourg and the UK, the Norwegian law does not specific exactly what information should be reported but rather relies on the media authority to request of the

Country case study: Norway2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Country case study: Georgia

2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Is media ownership transparent? In law YES FOR BROADCAST MEDIA ONLY In practice NO IN LAW According to the law, it is possible to finds out who owns broadcast media only in Georgia through information reported to the media authority, Georgian National Communications Council (GNCC), and directly to the public. As a result of amendments to the Law on Broadcasting in 2011, broadcast media must disclose enough information for their real owners to be identified. This includes information on the size of shareholdings, beneficial owners and those with indirect interests and control. Ownership of broadcast media by offshore companies was

Country case study: Georgia2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Country case study: Croatia

2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Is media ownership transparent? In law YES In practice NO IN LAW According to amendments to the Media Law (2011) and the Electronic Media Law (2012), it is possible to finds out who owns print, broadcast and online media in Croatia through information reported to: the relevant media authorities; directly to the public; or to corporate /trade registers. Through the various laws media must disclose enough information for their real owners to be identified right back to the individual, not just to a company. This includes information on the all shareholdings over 1%, disclosure of beneficial owners and those with

Country case study: Croatia2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Country case study: Austria

2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Is media ownership transparent? In law YES In practice YES IN LAW According Media Law, as amended in 2011, it is possible to finds out who owns print, online and broadcast media through information reported directly to the public. All media must disclose directly to the public enough information for their real owners to be identified, including information on all shareholdings, beneficial owners back to a real person and those with indirect interests and control. Information reported to the media authority, the Austrian Communications Authority (KommAustria), under the Audiovisual Media Services Act or Private Radio Broadcast Act will also reveal

Country case study: Austria2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Events during 2014

2018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Special Seminar on Transparency of Media Ownership 3 October 2014, Brussels, Belgium Helen Darbishire took part in a special seminar hosted by the European Commission on media ownership transparency, pluralism and freedom that was live-streamed to facilitate virtual participation. As part of the event, Access Info Europe and Open Society Programme on Independent Journalism published new research on media ownership transparency in Europe and its neighbourhood, to put this issue on the agenda of the incoming college of European Commissioners. Personal Democracy Forum Italia 2014 29 September, Rome, Italy Helen Darbishire will be attending the Personal Democracy Forum Italia 2014,

Events during 20142018-11-13T10:12:10+01:00

Post-2015: Access to information and independent media essential to development

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

Madrid, 3 February 2014 - Access Info Europe along with 195 civil society organisations from around the world have called on the United Nations (UN) to put government accountability and independent media at the centre of a new framework for global development. The joint statement coordinated by ARTICLE 19 and the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) comes ahead of a meeting of the UN Open Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals, which takes place in New York this week - and will include further discussions on governance. You can see a full list of the signatories and the text

Post-2015: Access to information and independent media essential to development2018-11-13T10:12:11+01:00

Civil society reacts to the imminent regulation of lobbying in Spain

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

Madrid, 5 February 2014 – Just as Spain makes its first steps towards regulating lobby activities, Access Info Europe CECU, CIECODE-Proyecto Avizor, La Fundación Ciudadana Civio, Open Kratio y Qué hacen los Diputados have warned of the need to consult civil society, and base any future regulation on advanced international standards in order to meet this new challenge for transparency. On 12 February, a Spanish Parliamentary Commission will decide whether lobbying is to be regulated or not[1]. The civil society organisations believe that in order to follow decision-making processes and ensure that decisions are made in the public interest, greater

Civil society reacts to the imminent regulation of lobbying in Spain2018-11-13T10:12:11+01:00

EU Calls on Spain to Strengthen Transparency Law

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

Madrid, 3 February 2014 – Access Info Europe today welcomed the European Union’s first anti-corruption report on Spain, which called for measures to strengthen Spain’s transparency law adopted in December 2013 in line with those which civil society has been campaigning for. Access Info Europe today urged the Spanish government to act immediately on the recommendations, which include guaranteeing independence of the appeals body, enhancing sanctions for non-compliance, and a narrower scope of exceptions to the principle of access to information.

EU Calls on Spain to Strengthen Transparency Law2018-11-13T10:12:11+01:00