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Electronic ID requirements and government refusal to answer emails force civil society to close Spanish request website
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
Unión Europea: luchar por la transparencia para una democracia plena
Público | 03/12/2015 Spanish – Bruselas es el epicentro de un proceso de toma de decisiones que afecta a más de 500 millones de personas y que casi nadie ve. A esta invisibilidad se suma la falta de transparencia en los procesos legislativos europeos. Los llamados “trílogos” y las negociaciones sobre los tratados comerciales son dos claros ejemplos de falta de
Excessive exceptions impede access to draft transparency policy of UN environmental body
Madrid, 3 December 2015 - Access Info Europe has raised concerns about unnecessary exceptions to access that have been included in the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) draft transparency policy which, if adopted in its current form, would severely restrict transparency inside the world’s highest environmental-protection authority. As part of a submission to UNEP’s public consultation on the policy, the
Documents used in decision making are not “internal” rules Spain’s Transparency Council
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
Decision Making Transparency is an Essential Part of Open Government Access Info Europe tells UK FOI Commission
Madrid, 23 November 2015 – Access Info Europe has warned that any move by the UK government to amend the FOI law by expanding blanket exceptions to decision-making transparency or by extending a political veto over disclosure, would be an attack on international standards. These concerns were set out in a submission to the government-appointed FOI Commission, which has been
Giegold Report Welcomed but Could Be More Ambitious Says Access Info
Madrid, 20 November 2015 - Access Info Europe today welcomed recommendations by Sven Giegold MEP, Rapporteur for the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, on greater transparency and accountability ofEU institutions, but has warned that they do not go far enough in addressing the need to improve access to EU documents in law and in practice. The pro-transparency organisation
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