Germany: Civil society website makes it easier to ask for government information Madrid/Berlin, Friday 1 August 2011 – A coalition of German and international access to information organisations, which includes Access Info Europe, [1] today launched a portal for submitting information requests to the German government.
Transparency in the European Union Access Info is working towards a more transparent EU by promoting stronger rules for access to documents and ensuring that existing rules are properly applied. We provide training on how to request information from the EU, campaign for greater transparency and, when necessary, litigate to get access to information. We also manage www.AsktheEU.org, an online platform for making access to documents requests to the European Union. Access Info Europe's EU Transparency Priorities EU Transparency Priorities / About Regulation 1049/2001 Access Info Europe's Guide on Access to EU Documents Download the Guide Access Info Europe's Helpdesk
Council of EU challenges pro-transparency ruling - Greece, UK and other member states set to join appeal Access Info launches campaign calling for governments and MEPs to support EU transparency 21 July 2011 - The Council of the European Union is challenging the pro-transparency decision of the General Court of the European Union in a case won by Access Info Europe on 22 March 2011. Greece and the UK have already sided with the Council and other member states are reported to be considering joining the appeal. New Council of the European Union Building: Democracy under Construction? In the case
Council of the EU Fights Open Decision Making: Greece, UK, and other member states to intervene in favour of secrecy Madrid, 27 June 2011 – The Council of the European Union is appealing against a March 2011 General Court (Court of Justice) ruling that promised to open Brussels law making up to proper scrutiny and participation by members of the European public. A number of member states are reported to be considering joining this effort to keep EU decision making behind closed doors. Specifically the Council wants to deny European citizens the right to know the positions their governments are
Waiting for Transparency in Luxembourg: Eleven Years and Counting Madrid, 20 June 2011 – Today marks exactly eleven years since Luxembourg’s “freedom of access to information” law was first proposed, but the law has not yet been adopted. Luxembourg is one of the only countries in the European Union (and the wider Council of Europe region) not to have such a law. Human rights organisation Access Info Europe today sent a letter to Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker calling for Luxembourg to improve the draft and adopt a law in line with highest European and democratic standards. The pro-transparency organisation also
Access Info comments on European Ombudsman's Public Service Principles for EU Civil Servants Access Info Europe has contributed to the European Ombudsman's public consultation on Public Service Principles for EU Civil Servants. Although not legally binding, these principles would serve as a guide to complement other existing control mechanisms such as internal Staff Regulations, and would define the spirit with which these instruments should be interpreted. Access Info Europe welcomes the development by the European Ombudsman of the EU Public Service Principles which we believe are a good starting point for promoting an ethical and open civil service which acts
Feedback One of the ways in which Access Info can measure the impact it is having is through your responses to our emails. Below you will find some reactions to our work on the European Union, particularly the successful Court Case against the Council of the EU, and The Secret State of EU Transparency Reforms report. "It surprises us time and time again how governments committed to transparency by rethoric forget its importance when it comes to them. It is sad that often judicial decisions to remind governments whom they represent and to whom they are accountable. We need to
General Court of the European Union rules refusal illegitimate Access Info wins case against Council on open legislative procedure 22 March 2011: The General Court of the European Union today found that the Council of the EU wrongly refused to disclose the identity of countries taking positions on reform of the EU’s access to documents rules. Ruling on an application brought by Access Info Europe, the Court found that the Council had “in no way demonstrated” how publication of the country names would “seriously undermine its decision-making process”. The Court stated that “If citizens are to be able to exercise
The Secret State of EU Transparency Reforms 16 of 27 Member States refuse to provide information on EU transparency negotiations Brussels/Madrid, Monday 21 March 2011: European citizens can’t find out from either Brussels or from national governments which countries are lobbying against EU transparency, according to a report launched by the NGO Access Info Europe this week. The report is launched just before an expected ruling by the European Court of Justice on 22 March in the case of Access Info Europe vs. the Council. The pro-transparency organization is challenging the Council’s concealment of Member State positions on the reform
Global call for MEPs to protect transparency of the European Union Over 250 organisations, journalists and campaigners call for MEPs to reject measures to limit public access to information The European Union is engaging in a review of its access to documents regulation that could result in freedom of information being severely curtailed across Europe. The Commission is proposing changes that would reduce the number of documents available to the public and would allow Member States to veto the publication of documents submitted by them to the EU institutions. These proposals will be debated by the LIBE committee on Civil