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8 Jul 2016

Post it-sized minutes of European Council meetings unacceptable says Access Info Europe

2018-11-13T10:04:01+01:00

Madrid, 8 July 2016 – Access Info Europe has denounced the European Council’s recurrent lack of detail in its record-keeping, something highlighted by the shockingly minimalist minutes of the 17-18 March 2016 European Council meeting during which the so-called EU-Turkey “agreement” was concluded. The minutes of this significant meeting on the refugee crisis, which produced a controversial solution – many experts have raised doubts about its conformity with EU and international law – are so brief that they fit into a post it: “Post it-size accounts of high-level decision making about vital human rights issues are entirely unacceptable,” commented Helen

Post it-sized minutes of European Council meetings unacceptable says Access Info Europe2018-11-13T10:04:01+01:00
14 Jun 2016

Spain: The State of Transparency in a Year of Change

2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00

Madrid, 14 June 2016 - In the run-up to a second general election in less than a year, Spanish political parties are struggling to live up to their pro-transparency discourse as they offer voters weak transparency agendas for the coming legislative term. As campaigning for the 26 June elections swings into full gear, Access Info Europe is running a reality check on the state of transparency in Spain: what is being done, what isn’t, and what needs to be done to guarantee citizens’ right to know. Second election, halved commitments When at the beginning of the month the Access Info

Spain: The State of Transparency in a Year of Change2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00
7 Jun 2016

Access Info condemns slashing of World Bank’s Access to Information Unit

2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00

Calls for Transparency to be core part of future governance agenda Madrid, 7 June 2016 - Access Info Europe has criticised the decision by the World Bank to axe its department working on access to information and called on it to keep promotion of transparency as a core part of promoting good, open government. Access Info also expressed concern that the Bank is likely to stop work on developing indicators that can be used to measure Sustainable Development Goal 16.10.2 on the right of access to information, something that other bodies such as UNESCO had been planning to rely on

Access Info condemns slashing of World Bank’s Access to Information Unit2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00
6 Jun 2016

Access Info defends citizens’ right to know as part of lobby transparency reforms

2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00

Madrid, 6 June 2016 – Access Info Europe has called on the European Union and the Council of Europe to ensure that future lobby control rules that both are in the process of developing are fully in line with The International Standards for Lobbying Regulation. In submissions to separate public consultations held by the EU and Council of Europe, the pro-transparency organisation underscored the need for lobbying regulation to ensure that full information on the activity of lobbyists is both recorded and published. In response to the EU consultation Access Info proposed EU institutions keep better records of interactions with

Access Info defends citizens’ right to know as part of lobby transparency reforms2018-11-13T10:04:10+01:00
23 May 2016

Give the Commission your views on EU lobbying!

2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

This article was originally published by ALTER-EU. Brussels, 23 May 2015 - Do you want to see more transparency about who is lobbying who in Brussels and the EU institutions? Are you angry about the privileged access that corporate lobbyists get to EU decision-makers, whether it be on TTIP, tobacco, climate, regulation, digital rights...? The European Commission is consulting about how to improve the EU lobby transparency register with a view to revising and improving the current set-up. The consultation process is far from perfect, and the extent of the Commission's future ambition is not yet clear, but nonetheless, the

Give the Commission your views on EU lobbying!2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00
19 May 2016

Spain’s extortionate Sunshine Tax is “a final solution for renewable energy”: What do the documents tell us?

2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

Madrid, 19 May 2016 - On the day that the news is full of the fact that Portugal this month had four straight days of zero emissions energy production using renewable sources (full story here), documents obtained by Access Info Europe using Spain’s Transparency Law reveal the tense political battles behind a controversial 2015 law that imposes prohibitive taxes on use of home-produced energy (such as from solar power). Spain – a country replete with sunshine, wind and waves – could be breaking the same records as Portugal, but instead the renewables sector has been undermined and citizens who generate

Spain’s extortionate Sunshine Tax is “a final solution for renewable energy”: What do the documents tell us?2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00
12 May 2016

Spain: NGOs go to court to obtain documents about lobbying on a controversial energy law

2018-11-13T10:10:41+01:00

Madrid 12 May 2016 – Two Spanish NGOs are challenging in court a decision by the Transparency Council granting only partial access to lobby documents submitted during elaboration of a controversial 2015 Law that imposes prohibitive taxes on use of home-produced energy (such as from solar power). Access Info Europe and the Platform for a New Energy Model in December 2015 had requested all documents submitted by third parties to the Ministry of Industry; the Ministry denied access on the grounds that the documents are “internal”, invoking one of the most problematic provisions of Spain’s 2013 Transparency Law. The Transparency

Spain: NGOs go to court to obtain documents about lobbying on a controversial energy law2018-11-13T10:10:41+01:00
11 May 2016

EU Ombudsman: Public figures should expect a high degree of transparency about their professional competence

2018-11-13T10:10:41+01:00

Madrid/Brussels, 10 May 2016 – In an important Decision from the European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly has said that data relating to the professional competence and activities of public figures, especially those appointed to a high level public posts, may not require the same level of protection as might apply to personal data in other circumstances. Access Info Europe and the HEC-NYU EU Public Interest Clinic welcomed the Ombudsman’s Decision on their complaint about the lack of transparency in the selection process for judges to the European Union Court of Justice (ECJ). “The public has a right to know if the

EU Ombudsman: Public figures should expect a high degree of transparency about their professional competence2018-11-13T10:10:41+01:00
9 May 2016

After five months, European Commission tells Access Info the name of a database!

2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

Madrid, 9 May 2016 - On Europe Day, Access Info’s Executive Director Helen Darbishire was happy to open a DHL package from the European Commission with the response to a request submitted on 16 November 2015 for information about the database in which the travel and entertainment expenses of the European Commissioners are stored. We asked about the database because we’ve been told it’s not possible to provide numerical data on how much each Commissioner spends on travel and entertainment without also providing personal data, which would take many days to redact. In the modern information era this seems odd.

After five months, European Commission tells Access Info the name of a database!2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00
3 May 2016

Civil society urges OGP Steering Committee to undertake strong reforms and rally its core values

2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

Madrid, 3 May 2016 - The Open Government Partnership is in need of substantial reforms in order for it to become a real actor of change for greater transparency, participation and accountability worldwide, Access Info Europe and Alianza Regional have stated in an open letter sent to the organisation’s Steering Committee. The letter, supported by 64 civil society organisations, addresses five areas of improvement aiming to increase the OGP’s credibility and strengthen its core values: » Establishing clear and rigorous criteria for dealing with human rights violations by participating countries; » Ensuring real participation and co-creation of OGP Action Plans;

Civil society urges OGP Steering Committee to undertake strong reforms and rally its core values2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00
Original content developed by Access Info Europe and is made public under a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike licence.