BUSINESS TRANSPARENCY
Companies operating in the public sphere should be accountable for their actions and impacts on human rights and the environment, and in order to achieve this, transparency is essential.
» Through legislation: The European Union, for example, has adopted a series of legislation that requires companies in specific sectors to report on their impacts and activities. Find out more here » Through the fundamental right to information: Access to information is a fundamental human right and therefore it cannot be violated by any private actor. However, private actors not yet obliged to respond to freedom of information requests; except for in South Africa.
» Business Transparency News: We keep an eye on corporate transparency legislation.
» Company Ownership Transparency: We use access to information laws to test accessibility of corporate information in practice and to push for improved transparency.
BUSINESS TRANSPARENCY NEWS
Business Transparency
Businesses hold much information needed to combat corruption, to achieve tax justice, to identify influences on power, and to track those involved in human rights and environmental violations around the world. Access Info supports further efforts around Europe to expand transparency surrounding the activities of business, and we specifically campaign
European Parliament moves forward on Transparency of Company Ownership
Madrid, 21 February 2014 – In an important move with widespread implications for the defence of human rights and the fight against corruption, the European Parliament moved a step closer towards a legal obligation for companies to disclose their real or “beneficial” owners on 20 February 2014. The progress came
Access Info Europe calls for the creation and publication of registers of beneficial owners.
Madrid, 4 December 2013 - Access Info Europe together with Inspiraction and Intermon Oxfam has called upon Spanish MEPs to support the creation of a public register of beneficial owners of any kind of corporate structure, trusts, and businesses. This letter was has been sent in the context of an
Non-financial reporting: concerns over weakening of the EU proposals on corporate transparency
Brussels, 28 October 2013 – In April 2013 the EU Commission launched a reform to improve corporate transparency on environmental and human rights matters. The European Coalition for Corporate Justice , which Access Info is a member of, welcomed the initiative as a first step towards corporate accountability, while highlighting
Civil society outlines concerns to DG Enlargement about Montenegrin efforts to combat corruption
Podgorica/Madrid, 23 October 2013 - Today, Access Info with Montenegrin and international civil society organisations outlined concerns about Montenegro's efforts to combat corruption and organised crime, highlighting the reduction of information publically available on the national company register, in a letter sent to Mr. Dirk Lange, the Head of Unit