On 8 March 2011, Access Info Europe launched its first Twitter campaign asking for information about the status of Spain’s access to information law from the Ministry of the Presidency. During the day around 300 people sent a tweet to the recently inaugurated Twitter profile of the Ministry, with the message “Where is the transparency law?” The ministry responded rapidly, by phoning Access Info Europe and offering a meeting between Minister Ramón Jáuregui and representatives of the NGO platform the Coalición Pro Acceso on 17 March.

17 January 2011. The centre of Law and Democracy publishes a detailed analysis of the Spanish Access to Information Law and criticizes its limited scope, weak definition of information, and the extensive and vague list of exception. The analysis also criticizes the secrecy surrounding the development of this law is being developed and calls for a more consultative and participative adoption process. CLD Press release

Documents on the right of Access to information in Spain Spain is the only country in the EU with a population of more than one million which still does not have an Access to Information law. Below are some useful documents in which Access Info Europe has analysed the current relevant legal provisions in Spain as well as the draft law that Access Info had access to in 21 September 2010. The draft law on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance: Main problems of the draft of the Spanish RTI law The Spanish Access to Information Draft Law

Access Info launched today an international consultation on the Spanish access to information leaked draft law. This follows a consultation conducted in Spain which reveals that the majority of the public called for improvements of the law. The results of this consultation will be sent to the Spanish government. Please find below the text of the draft and a questionnaire. Feel free to make all the comments you come up with besides the questionnaire. The deadline for comments is the 17th of January. Please send it to Victoria Anderica, victoria@access-info.org. Spain draft Access to Information Law September 2010 in English

Spain: Public Participation in budget-making non-existent,finds international survey Madrid, 20 October 2010 – Spain has scored 63 out of a possible 100 in the Open Budget Index, losing points for weak oversight by the Legislature and the Audit Institution as well as for complete lack of participation in the budgeting process, the pro-transparency organisation Access Info Europe revealed today.

20 October 2010, Madrid – Access Info Europe, along with other members of the Coalición Pro Acceso (the Coalition for an Access to Information law in Spain) will present the results of the 2010 Open Budget Index which has assessed the transparency of budgets in 94 countries and which for the first time this year, includes Spain.

Madrid, 22 September 2010 – Access Info Europe today launched a public consultation on Spain’s draft access to information law following receipt of a leaked copy of the draft law. Responses will be forwarded to the government. Access Info along with the 40 other NGO members of the Coalicion Pro Acceso have been calling for greater transparency around the draft. A letter sent to the government on 20 August 2010 asking for a copy and calling for a public consultation has, to date, gone unanswered.

To celebrate International Right to Know Day on 28 September, Access Info Europe and the Coalición Pro Acceso are holding a public seminar on the right of access to information at the Complutense University in Madrid. Government transparency is a burning issue in Spain, which is the last country in Europe with a population of more than one million not to have an access to information law. On 16tAugust this year, the daily newspaper El País reported leaked information that the draft “Law on Transparency and Citizen Access to Public Information” will soon be passed to the parliament. The urgent