IS INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED IN EUROPE?

WE RESEARCHED 41 DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES IN 12 JURISDICTIONS.
HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND

ONLY 20% OF INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE

European countries are not proactively publishing information about who public officials meet with any reasons justifying their decisions nor records created regarding policy and legislation, impeding public participation and scrutiny of decision making processes.

WAS THE INFORMATION WE LOOKED FOR PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

THE RESULTS IN DETAIL:
DOCUMENT-BY-DOCUMENT

WHAT TYPE OF DOCUMENTS DID WE LOOK FOR?

We focused on types of documents we believe to be relevant when trying to follow and understand a specific decision-making process.
This is the kind of information we searched for:

Appointment diaries of public officials

This type of document will tell you who the public authority meets and when. In the best scenarios, it can also tell you the place and topic of each meeting.

Minutes of particular meetings

Minutes of meetings contain (detailed) information about the participants and their positions. You might look for minutes if you are interested in knowing what participants said and if any agreement was reached.

Documents justifying decisions

In this type of documents the public authority addresses the reasons that explain why a decision has been taken. In some legislative processes, it can be compulsory to create this type of document.

Documents submitted by lobbyists

Interactions between public authorities and private interest representatives are common, and when they take place, lobbyists often submit documents containing their proposals and suggestions.

Submissions to public consultations

When a public consultation is held, documents containing proposals and suggestions will be submitted by the public.

PROACTIVE PUBLICATION COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY

Find below the results of our analysis on the state of proactive publication in these 12 European jurisdictions. Keep scrolling to find more details per country: what kind of information we looked for, what we managed to find proactively published, and what we didn’t.

Austria

We looked for information regarding FOI law amendments, awards of honorary titles, pesticides legislation, tobacco law and copyright.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

90% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Constitutional Amendment Freedom of Information Law
Award of honorary titles and awards; appointment of top-level civil servants; signing laws into force					NOT HELD
Amendment of the Pesticides Act (2013)					NOT HELD
Amendment to the Tobacco Act (2015)
Reform of the Copyright Act (2014)					NOT HELD

Table key:
Information which was partially published or not clear.
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

Croatia

We looked for information regarding Catholic Church exemptions, tenders for oil exploitation and conversion of citizen's credits to Euros.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

64% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Exemption of the Catholic Church from provisions of the new act on Non-profits
Act and international tender related to Exploitation of Oil in the Adriatic
Conversion of citizens’ credits in francs to euro					NOT HELD

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was partially published or not clear.
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

European Union

We looked for information regarding the adoption of a mandatory lobby register at the EU level.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

50% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Adoption of a mandatory lobby register at EU level					NOT HELD

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was partially published or not clear.
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

Finland

We looked for information regarding the adoption of a mandatory lobby register at the EU level.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

81% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Tobacco Law (transposition of Tobacco Products Directive)
Reform of the Environmental Protection Law – provisions on public participation					NOT HELD
Ratification of the European Patent Court Agreement

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

Germany

We looked for information regarding CO2 limits, minimum wage, pharma laws, inheritance taxes and pension reform.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

100% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Pharma Law on medicine costs (AMNOG)
CO2 limits
Minimum Wage Law
Pension reform in 2014
Inheritance Tax

Table key:
Information which was not proactivelly published.

Greece

We looked for information regarding open data and access to information, civil partnership and business licensing simplification.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

60% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Simplification of the licensing process for the commencement of business activities
Open availability and further use of documents, information and data of the public sector
Civil partnership agreement, exercise of rights and criminal provisions

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was partially published or not clear.
Information which was not proactivelly published.

Ireland

We looked for information regarding the FOI Act, legislation on policing authorities and miscellaneous and tobacco legislation.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

69% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneus Provisions) Bill (2015)
Freedom of Information Act (2014)					NOT HELD
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Act (2014)					NOT HELD

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was partially published or not clear.
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

Italy

We looked for information regarding the budget law, prorogations decree and reform of the educational system.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

0% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Budget Law (2014)					NOT HELD
Prorogations Decree (Decree Law 192/2014)					NOT HELD
Law Stability (2015)					NOT HELD
Reform of the national system of education					NOT HELD

Table key:
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

Poland

We looked for information regarding re-use of public sector information, public procurement legislation and infertility treatment legislation.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

53% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
The draft of Infertility treatment Act
The draft of Public Procurement Law
Draft legislation guidelines on the re-use of public sector information

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was partially published or not clear.
Information which was not proactivelly published.

Slovenia

We looked for information regarding telecommunications companies privatisation, Family Code proposal and legislation on net neutrality.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

57% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Amendments: Law on Marriage and Family Relations
Privatisation of “Telekom Slovenije”					NOT HELD
Amendments: Electronic Communications Act

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was partially published or not clear.
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

Spain

We looked for information regarding plans on companies and human rights, own electricity supply and production regulation and Open Government Partnership action plans.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

100% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Action Plan on Business and HRs					NOT HELD
Energy Bill (Royal Decree 900/2015)
Open Government Partnership A					NOT HELD
Open Government Partnership B

Table key:
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

United Kingdom

We looked for information regarding the Trade Unions Bill, public subsidies for wind farms, Heathrow airport expansion and investigatory powers legislation.

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

75% of information was not proactivelly published!

	Appointments diaries of public officials	Minutes of meetings (including meetings within government or between government and outside interests)	Document justifying the particular decision taken	Documents submitted by lobbyists and external interest groups	Documents submitted to a public consultation (if held)
Trade Unions Bill					NOT HELD
Legislating to close the Renewables Oblibation					NOT HELD
Decision on Expansion of Heathrow					NOT HELD
Investigatory Powers Bill					NOT HELD

Table key:
Information which was proactivelly published.
Information which was not proactivelly published.
NOT HELD Cases in which public consultation was not held.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON PROACTIVE PUBLICATION

Publish agendas with comprehensive information

Public officials should publish their agendas or diaries proactively with full information about meetings held and attended, and the names of who they meet.

Keep and publish a record of minutes of meetings

ublic authorities should ensure that records of their actions and minutes of meetings are created and published to ensure accountability and public scrutiny.

Publish lobbyists’ and interest groups’ contributions

Public authorities should proactively publish all third-party documents received, including documents submitted as part of, or separate to, public consultations.

Publish documents justifying the decision

Information or documents justifying the reasons why particular decisions are taken should be published promptly and proactively.

TWEET YOUR SUPPORT!

MAIN CAMPAIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

IF YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP READING...

We have more information you might find interesting:

» Download here the raw data of our research.

» Read here a guide to public bodies and legislators with recommendations on proactive publication.

» Or keep learning about transparency of decision-making in Europe.

IS INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED IN EUROPE?

WE RESEARCHED 41 DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES IN 12 JURISDICTIONS. HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND

ONLY 20% OF INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE

WAS THE INFORMATION WE LOOKED FOR PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

THE RESULTS IN DETAIL: DOCUMENT-BY-DOCUMENT

WHAT TYPE OF DOCUMENTS DID WE LOOK FOR?

Appointment diaries of public officials

Minutes of particular meetings

Documents justifying decisions

Documents submitted by lobbyists

Submissions to public consultations

Appointment diaries of public officials

Minutes of particular meetings

Documents justifying decisions

Documents submitted by lobbyists

Submissions to public consultations

PROACTIVE PUBLICATION COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY

Austria

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Croatia

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

European Union

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Finland

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Germany

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Greece

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Ireland

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Italy

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Poland

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Slovenia

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

Spain

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

United Kingdom

WAS THE INFORMATION PROACTIVELY PUBLISHED?

RECOMMENDATIONS ON PROACTIVE PUBLICATION

IF YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP READING...

WE RESEARCHED 41 DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES IN 12 JURISDICTIONS.
HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND

THE RESULTS IN DETAIL:
DOCUMENT-BY-DOCUMENT