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What’s going on in Spain? Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention, a New 4-year OGP Action Plan, and a new Director for the Transparency Council
Madrid, 2 October 2020- The global news headlines might be talking about the worrying rise in coronavirus infections in Madrid - and the new lockdown - but there is also a lot of good news for transparency activists coming out of Spain this week, beautifully timed to coincide with International Access to Information Day on 28 September.
International Access to Information Day 2020: European governments urged to ratify Convention on Access to Official Documents
Madrid, 28 September 2020- On the occasion of International Access to Information Day, the pro-transparency organisation Access Info Europe is calling on the governments of the European region to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents, which will come into force on 1 December 2020, and to commit to strengthening this fundamental right.
Balancing the right to information with the right to privacy during a pandemic: Access Info discusses lessons learned and next steps at RightsCon
Access Info Europe and the Open Data Charter co-hosted a RightsCon panel where they spoke with data and privacy experts on the importance of making data open during the Covid-19 pandemic, while ensuring both the public’s safety and the privacy of the individual.
European Medicines Agency: Open letter calling for an email address
Madrid, 31 August 2020 – An open letter, signed by 28 health organisations, transparency associations, and academics, has called on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to take the simple step of providing an email address so that EU citizens can send access to documents requests directly via email.
Helen Darbishire, new Chair of the UNCAC Coalition
Madrid, 28 August 2020– Access Info Europe is glad to announce that its director, Helen Darbishire, has been elected as the new Chair of the UNCAC Coalition, the network that coordinates civil society activity in monitoring and promoting the UN Convention against Corruption.
Civil Society takes legal challenge to Spain’s Supreme Court over granting of €30 million to Morocco for migration control
Madrid/Seville, 20 July 2020 – Human rights organisations Access Info Europe and Andalucía Acoge, with legal support from Gentium and research support from Profundo, today announced the submission of legal arguments to the Spanish Supreme Court in a case challenging the granting of €30 million from Spain’s Contingency Fund to the Moroccan authorities for the control of migration towards Spain.
Cover photo: International Open Data Conference via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)