European Union
Public Access to the European Union
The European Union is a powerful political force in the 27 member countries and globally. Access Info is working to make the EU accountable and responsive to Europe's 500 million citizens. We want an open Europe that respects and promotes human rights.
We are doing this by promoting stronger rules for access to documents and working to ensure that existing rules are properly applied. We provide training on how to request information from the EU and support to civil society groups and individuals who want to file requests. We also engage in campaigns for greater transparency and, when necessary, litigate to get access to information.
Montenegrin Government Releases EU Accession Questionnaire
Madrid/Brussels/Podgorica, 14 April 2010: Access Info Europe and MANS welcome the release on Monday, 12 April 2009, by the Montenegrin government of its replies to the European Union’s pre-accession questionnaire, which were submitted to the European Commission in December 2009. The two civil society organisations had previously been refused access by the European Commission and the Montenegrin government respectively, and had launched litigation against the refusal.
Recommendations on DG Trade Vademecum submitted to EU
Access Info Europe and Corporate Europe Observatory on 6 April 2010 submitted a new round of comments to the EU’s Directorate General for Trade on its internal guidelines for access to documents, the controversial “Vademecum” first leaked to the public in March 2009 and revised by DG Trade in June 2009 following a strong reaction by the public.
European Parliament Resolution on Reform of Access to Documents Rules
8 January 2010: Access Info welcomes a 17 December 2009 resolution by the European Parliament which calls for a strengthening of the EU Access to Documents Rules. See: European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2009 on improvements needed to the legal framework for access to documents following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001. The Resolution calls for the main EU rules on access to documents (Regulation 1049/2001) to be strengthened and broadened in line with recognition of access to documents as a right under the Lisbon Treaty which entered into force on 1 December 2009.
How Should Citizens Request EU Documents?
Internal Guides and DG Practices Discourage Access to EU Documents
Brussels, 19 November 2009: Access Info Europe asked 16 of the European Union's Directorates General (DGs) for internal guidelines on how they handle requests for information. The request process threw up a series of obstacles facing members of the public filing a request for documents for the first time, including:
- • DGs do not offer clear mechanisms for filing access to documents requests;
- • Requests submitted via website enquiry forms are not treated as formal requests;
- • Not all requests are acknowledged;
- • Not all requests were issued official access to documents reference numbers;
- • Some DGs refused to process the requests.
Don't Mention Lunch with the Lobbyists!
Access Info has joined other organisations in calling on the EU's Directorate General for Trade to explain an internal memorandum which gives EU public officials tips on how to keep information from the public domain, including by creating two records of meetings, one with facts and the other with comments. Particularly controversial is the guidance on not recording relations with industry lobbyists: such as "don't refer to the great lunch you have had with an industry representative privately or add a PS asking if he/she would like to meet for a drink"
Reform of the Access Rules
The EU is reforming its rules on access to documents and Access Info wanted to know what position each government was taking on the reform. The EU refused to tell us so we have launched a legal challenge. Read more
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