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27 Jul 2016

Madrid City Adopts Strong Transparency and Lobby Regulation Rules

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

Madrid, 27 July 2016 - The Madrid City Council today approved one of the most progressive sub-national transparency regimes in Europe, encompassing proactive publication on a broad scale, the right to request information, including via anonymous requests, and a strong lobby regulation that requires the registration of lobbyists before they meet with public officials. Welcoming the new package of open government measures, Access Info Europe noted that the holistic approach to transparency sets a standard not only in Spain but across Europe and globally, particularly since the Madrid City Hall is a member of the Open Government Partnership sub-national pilot

Madrid City Adopts Strong Transparency and Lobby Regulation Rules2018-11-13T10:04:00+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
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
15 Feb 2016

Lobbying Regulation: An Ongoing Question For Spain

2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00

This article was originally published by ALTER-EU. Madrid, 15 February 2016 - Lobbying is currently not regulated in Spain, and despite the entry into force of the new access to information law, it is still almost impossible for the public to find out who is influencing which decision-makers, with what means, and to what effect. This is despite the eruption of new political parties, such as Podemos and Ciudadanos, which have helped to introduce into the political agenda issues of conflicts of interest caused by unregulated lobbying and the revolving door phenomenon. The lack of regulation and transparency around lobbying

Lobbying Regulation: An Ongoing Question For Spain2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00
9 Feb 2016

Spain: Government goes to court to keep secret documents about … open government!

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

Madrid, 9 February 2016 - The Spanish government has launched a court case against Spain’s Transparency Council to challenge a decision that it should release documents relating to the implementation of Spain’s two Open Government Partnership action plans. In November 2015, Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe, secured a ruling from the Transparency Council that the Ministry of the Presidency should make public reports from Ministries about progress being made on Open Government Partnership commitments. In its ruling, the Transparency Council argued that documents about Spain’s open government activities cannot be exempted as being “internal” because they are

Spain: Government goes to court to keep secret documents about … open government!2018-11-13T10:04:13+01:00
29 Jan 2016

Madrid City Hall Transparency Ordinance Sets a High Standard

2018-11-13T10:04:14+01:00

Civil society recommends strengthening proactive publication and lobbying regulation Madrid, 29 enero 2016 – Madrid City Hall has prepared a high standard and comprehensive Transparency Ordinance which meets with civil society demands in areas such as proactive publication obligations, the right of access to information, and regulation of lobbies, according to Access Info Europe and other members of Coalición Pro Acceso. At the same time, the organisations have suggested various improvements including expanding the list of information to be published proactively, establishing a sanctions regime for breaches of the right of access to information, and strengthening regulation of lobbyists. These

Madrid City Hall Transparency Ordinance Sets a High Standard2018-11-13T10:04:14+01:00
10 Dec 2015

Electronic ID requirements and government refusal to answer emails force civil society to close Spanish request website

2018-11-13T10:04:25+01:00

Madrid, 10 December 2015 – It is with huge reluctance that Access Info Europe and Civio today announce the closure of the request website “Tu Derecho a Saber” (Your Right to Know) because the need to have an electronic ID and the refusal to respond to emails is making it impossible to help the public send requests. In the first year of implementation of Spain’s much-criticised transparency law, we processed requests manually, using Civio’s electronic ID to send them via the central Transparency Portal’s complex verification systems, something that was taking up to a few hours per day. On 10

Electronic ID requirements and government refusal to answer emails force civil society to close Spanish request website2018-11-13T10:04:25+01:00
27 Nov 2015

Documents used in decision making are not “internal” rules Spain’s Transparency Council

2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Madrid, 27 November 2015 – In another important decision from Spain’s Transparency Council, Access Info Europe has been granted access to Spanish government progress reports on Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitments. The Transparency Council’s decision rejects arguments by the Ministry of the Presidency that these documents, which were used as part of the decision-making process, are “internal documents.” In August 2015, Access Info’s director Helen Darbishire asked for copies of OGP-related documents in order to get an insight into what the government is doing in implementing the action plan. This request was necessary because, unlike in other OGP countries, there

Documents used in decision making are not “internal” rules Spain’s Transparency Council2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00
12 Nov 2015

Access Info wins access to names of participants in meetings held by Spanish government

2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00

Madrid, 12 November 2015 – In an important ruling from Spain’s Transparency Council, Access Info Europe has won access to the names of participants in meetings held to discuss the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Welcoming this standard-setting ruling Access Info Europe noted that it should contribute to genuine accountability of decision-making processes. Helen Darbishire of Access Info, who presented the complaint, said “it is essential to know who precisely gets to participate in meetings inside government, be they public officials, experts, lobbyists, or others.” Importantly the Transparency Council confirmed that Spain’s 2013 Transparency Law anticipates provision of information which “merely

Access Info wins access to names of participants in meetings held by Spanish government2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00
13 Jul 2015

Spain: Draft Regulation Limits Already Weak Transparency Law

2018-11-13T09:46:12+01:00

Madrid, 13 July 2015 - Access Info Europe and the 65-member Coalición Pro Acceso have strongly criticised the draft implementing Regulation for Spain’s transparency law as a deliberate attempt by the government to further limit an already weak law and have called for it to be redrafted with urgency. Particularly egregious features of the Regulation include inverting the public interest test so that the balance tips in favour of secrecy, and reducing further the kinds of information that can be requested. In response to a poorly-publicised consultation on the draft, the concerns raised in the civil society submission include the

Spain: Draft Regulation Limits Already Weak Transparency Law2018-11-13T09:46:12+01:00
Original content developed by Access Info Europe and is made public under a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike licence.