EU Transparency2021-08-30T11:39:16+02:00

ADVOCATING FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY IN THE EU

WE SHINE A LIGHT ON EU INSTITUTIONS AND DECISION MAKING

WE PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY IN EU DECISION MAKING...

since citizens have the right to know about how decisions are taken
Transparency in EU decision making is essential to ensuring citizens can hold public officials to account and increase citizen participation. We also campaign for stronger rules for lobbying transparency, the opening up of trilogues, as well as better record keeping by all EU institutions.

WE TACKLE THE
ABUSIVE APPLICATION
OF EXCEPTIONS...

because only in limited cases should the EU apply exceptions to access
By using the EU transparency rules (Regulation 1049/2001) we challenge the decisions of EU institutions that limit access to documents, and take further appeals and complaints to the European Ombudsman or Courts.

WE CHALLENGE
PRACTICAL OBSTACLES TO
ACCESS INFORMATION...

so that submitting requests is simple and straightforward for everyone
We challenge the obstacles put in place by EU institutions via appeals and evidence-based advocacy – whether it be for example, to end the obligation to provide a postal address or personal identification to register requests or simply to be able to use email!

OUR LATEST UPDATES ON EU TRANSPARENCY

2Sep 2016

Your fundamental right might have to wait, I’m out of office

Madrid, 2 September 2016 - Since the beginning of August, requesters of access to EU documents may have noticed the following automated messages from the Secretariat General warning them about possible delays to dealing with requests: “Due to the holiday period in August, some delays may occur in the treatment of your access-to-documents request, especially where the processing of data

14Jul 2016

EU institutions urged to adopt Ombudsman proposals for trilogue transparency

Madrid, 14 July 2016 - European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly today published key recommendations calling on the EU institutions to increase transparency of negotiations over future legislation, the EU’s traditionally secretive “trilogue” meetings. Access Info welcomed O’Reilly’s call for proactive publication of key information to shed light on this secretive part of the EU legislative process, noting that the EU treaties

8Jul 2016

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

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

23May 2016

Give the Commission your views on EU lobbying!

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

11May 2016

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

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