letter

After five months, European Commission tells Access Info the name of a database!

2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

Madrid, 9 May 2016 - On Europe Day, Access Info’s Executive Director Helen Darbishire was happy to open a DHL package from the European Commission with the response to a request submitted on 16 November 2015 for information about the database in which the travel and entertainment expenses of the European Commissioners are stored. We asked about the database because we’ve been told it’s not possible to provide numerical data on how much each Commissioner spends on travel and entertainment without also providing personal data, which would take many days to redact. In the modern information era this seems odd.

Access Info issues formal complaint on Spain’s lack of commitment to the OGP

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:14+01:00

Madrid, 16 October 2015 - Access Info Europe submitted a formal complaint to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in relation to the Spanish government’s manifest lack of commitment towards the principles and values supported by the Alliance, of which Spain is member since 2011. Access Info’s complaint is specifically structured around four key obstacles to transparency, participation and accountability which constantly complicate collaboration and cooperation with the government when trying advance in open government matters: No communications mechanisms have been set up to enable dialogue and facilitate consultation processes with civil society; this includes the absence of an identifiable contact