ADVANCING THE RIGHT OF
ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN SPAIN
WE CAMPAIGN FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY, IN LAW AND IN PRACTICE
Spain: NGOs go to court to obtain documents about lobbying on a controversial energy law
Madrid 12 May 2016 – Two Spanish NGOs are challenging in court a decision by the Transparency Council granting only partial access to lobby documents submitted during elaboration of a controversial 2015 Law that imposes prohibitive taxes on use of home-produced energy (such as from solar power). Access Info Europe and the Platform for a New Energy Model in December
Lobbying Regulation: An Ongoing Question For Spain
This article was originally published by ALTER-EU. Madrid, 15 February 2016 - Lobbying is currently not regulated in Spain, and despite the entry into force of the new access to information law, it is still almost impossible for the public to find out who is influencing which decision-makers, with what means, and to what effect. This is despite the eruption
Spain: Government goes to court to keep secret documents about … open government!
Madrid, 9 February 2016 - The Spanish government has launched a court case against Spain’s Transparency Council to challenge a decision that it should release documents relating to the implementation of Spain’s two Open Government Partnership action plans. In November 2015, Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe, secured a ruling from the Transparency Council that the Ministry of
Madrid City Hall Transparency Ordinance Sets a High Standard
Civil society recommends strengthening proactive publication and lobbying regulation Madrid, 29 enero 2016 – Madrid City Hall has prepared a high standard and comprehensive Transparency Ordinance which meets with civil society demands in areas such as proactive publication obligations, the right of access to information, and regulation of lobbies, according to Access Info Europe and other members of Coalición Pro
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
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
Cover photo: randomix via Flick (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)