Media
Media Contact Information
Journalists should contact Access Info's Executive Director, Helen Darbishire by clicking here or by mobile phone on +34 667685319 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +34 667685319 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Media enquiries can also addressed to our campaigns office by clicking here or by telephoning the office during working hours (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 7 pm Central European Time): + 34 91 365 2634 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting + 34 91 365 2634 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Below you will find recent statements and press releases from Access Info, organised in chronological order by year.
Press Releases 2008
Press Releases 2006-2007
Press Releases 2010
Draft Transparency Law begins legislative process behind closed doors
Madrid, 17 August 2010 – Spanish Daily El País announced on 16 August that the Spanish Council of Ministers is about to consider for approval the draft Transparency and Access to Information law, thereby initiating the legislative process. Access Info Europe renewed its call for full public consultation on the proposed law. Read more...
Anti-Corruption groups call for reform of access laws in Bosnia, Croatia and Montenegro
Sarajevo, 1 June 2010 – Access Info Europe and leading anti-corruption organisations TI BiH, TI Croatia, and MANS, today presented recommendations for urgent reform of the access to information laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro. (Click here to read the recommendations). The organisations argue that chronic lack of transparency in the Western Balkans is hindering the fight against corruption. Read more...
EU's Directorate General for Trade urged to improve internal access guidelines
Madrid, 8 April 2010 – Access Info Europe and Corporate Europe Observatory this week 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. Read more...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative launches Legal Leaks Toolkit
Berlin, 3 May 2010 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, launched a Europe-wide guide for journalists on how to access government information today, marking World Press Freedom Day. Read more...
New initiative tests access to information in 21 countries
Berlin/Madrid, 3 May 2010 – The public right to request information held by public authorities will be tested through a global initiative to obtain information on 21 countries’ implementation of anti-corruption efforts. Read more ...
Open Cyprus Coalition celebrates World Press Freedom Day
Nicosia, 3 May 2010 – The Open Cyprus Coalition today marked World Press Freedom Day by renewing the call for full recognition of the right of access to information. Access Info Europe notes that jounalists have great difficulty obtaining information in Cyprus, one of the only EU countries without a full access law. Read more...
Montenegrin Government Releases EU Accession Questionnaire
Madrid/Brussels/Podgorica, 14 April 2010 – Access Info Europe and MANS today welcomed the release on Monday, 12 April 2009, by the Montenegrin government of its replies to the European Union’s pre-accession questionnaire. Both the European Commission and the Montenegrin government had previously refused access and the NGOs had launched litigation against the refusal. Read more...
Open Cyprus Project launched by civil society from north and south of divided island
Nicosia, 12 April 2010 – Three civil society organisations today launched a bicommunal coalition to promote the right of access to information and public participation in Cyprus. Access Info Europe joined the NGOs KAB and IKME in the campaign to have the right of access to information recognised in law and in practice in Cyprus. Read more...
The Coalición Pro Acceso puts transparency of Spanish institutions to the test
Madrid, 5 April 2010 – In view of the lack of transparency of Spanish public bodies as well as the lack of access to information legislation, the Coalicion Pro Acceso has today launched the “100 Question Campaign” they expect that through this campaign the need for more openness will be clearly demonstrated. Read more...
Supreme Court Challenge to Spanish Government Silence On Anti-Corruption Measures
Madrid, 19 January 2010 ― A legal challenge against the failure of Spain’s Ministry of Justice to respond to citizens’ questions about measures to combat corruption today reached the Spanish Supreme Court. The NGO Access Info Europe is asking the Court to uphold the right of access to information in Spain. Read more...
Press Releases 2009
Ireland, Germany, Spain lagging behind on police transparency
Madrid, 26 November 2009 ― Ireland is the only country in Europe to exclude the police from the scope of its freedom of information law, in Germany the right to know does not apply to all police forces, and Spain is the largest EU country without an access to information law and so no public right to obtain information from the police. These findings are contained in report by Access Info called “The Right to Know: Europe and the Police”. Read more...
Report: Internal Guides and DG Practices Discourage Access to EU Documents
19 November 2009 - Access Info and Corporate Europe Observatory will be meeting with DG Trade to discuss its controversial internal guide on access to documents, leaked in April and amended in June following protests from civil society. Particularly controversial was the guidance (now deleted) 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”. Read more...
Report: Lack of Transparency of Aid Funds Leads to Corruption and Ineffectiveness
Madrid, 20 October 2009 ― Donor governments are failing to make available the information needed to prevent corruption in international aid projects and to permit taxpayers to evaluate the effectiveness of aid spending, according to a new report launched today by transparency NGO Access Info Europe. Read more...
UK government will not sign World’s First Treaty on Access to Information
Madrid, London 29 June 2009 ― Freedom of Information campaign groups today criticised the UK Government’s decision not to sign the world’s first binding treaty on access to official information. Despite the Prime Minister’s recent statement promising greater freedom of information , the Government has confirmed it will not currently sign the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents. Read more...
12 States Sign World’s First Treaty on Access to Information
Madrid, 19 June 2009 ― Twelve European countries - Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, and Sweden - today became the first states to sign the world’s first treaty on access to information - the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents. Read more...
European Court of Human Rights Recognises Right of Access to Information
Madrid, 14 April 2009 ― Access Info Europe welcomes today's ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in which it recognises that when public bodies already hold information that is needed for public debate, the refusal to provide it to those who are seeking it is a violation of the right to freedom of expression and information. Read more...
Access Info presents “Five Principles for an Open and Accountable NATO”
Madrid/Brussels, 4 April 2009 ― Access Info Europe today called on NATO to adopt an information openness policy consistent with the access to information laws already in place in the Alliance’s 28 member countries. It is the only major intergovernmental body not to have even a basic information disclosure policy. Read more...
Council of the European Union refuses to release legal advice
Madrid/Brussels, 24 March 2009 ― Going against rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the "Turco case", the Council of the European Union has refused to release legal advice about its proposed reforms to the EU access to documents rules. Access Info yesterday (23 March 2009) filed a legal appeal against this refusal arguing that recent decisions of the ECJ make clear that legal advice relating to the legislative process should be made public. Read more...
European Court of Human Rights Says Laws Can Never Be Secret
Madrid, 10 March 2009 ― Access Info welcomes the European Court of Justice ruling on 10 March 2009 that it is illegal to enforce against individuals a law which has not been made public. The case referred to rules governing what cannot be carried onto aircraft, which for years after they were first adopted in 2002 were kept secret, violating the fundamental principle that a law is not a law until it has been published. Read more...
British Government’s Veto on Release of Iraq Cabinet Minutes
Madrid, 25 February 2009 ― The British government’s decision to veto release of the Iraq cabinet minutes undermines the role of the judiciary to ensure that public authorities uphold the law, according to international human rights organisation Access Info Europe. Read more...
EU conceals government positions on reform of transparency rules
Madrid, 20 January 2009 ― An attempt by the European Union to conceal the positions taken by individual member governments on the reform of EU transparency rules has met with a legal challenge by Access Info Europe. The human rights organization argues that the public has a right to know whether their elected representatives are acting in discussions on the future transparency Europe’s super-state. Read more...
Press Releases 2008
Council of Europe Adopts Second-rate Treaty on Access to Information
London, Madrid 2 December 2008 – Three leading international human rights groups today criticized the Council of Europe's decision on November 27 to adopt the Convention on Access to Official Documents without spending the time even to discuss major concerns raised by members of parliament, over 250 civil society groups, a dozen European information commissioners and several governments. Read more...
Leaked documents show plans to reject Parliamentarians’ opposition to Convention
London, Madrid 26 November 2008 - Documents obtained by human rights groups show that the Council of Europe took a decision on 12 November to reject the Parliamentary Assembly’s concerns, but this information has been kept from the public. Under the arcane internal rules of the Council of Europe, the formal adoption of the treaty on 27 November should take place “without debate”. Read more...
Council of Europe Refuses Access to Information on Draft Transparency Convention
London, Madrid 25 November 2008 - The Council of Europe has formally refused make public its plans to adopt the much-criticised Convention on Access to Official Documents on 27 November. The decision to adopt the convention overrides the concerns raised by parliamentarians representing over 800 million people in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, who have called for the treaty to be redrafted. Read more...
Sweden accused of Secrecy over Convention on Transparency
21 November 2008 - Sweden’s six-month Chairmanship of the Council of Europe will end on Thursday 27 November with the adoption of the Convention on Access to Official Documents. The Swedish government pledged to make the Council of Europe more transparent but, in spite of this, is overseeing adoption of the world’s first Convention on Access to Official Documents under a shroud of secrecy which makes it impossible for parliamentarians, civil society and journalists to know how decisions are being taken. Read more...
Council of Europe Accused of Secrecy Over Convention on Transparency
London, Madrid 17 November 2008 - Human rights organisations working on government transparency filed a request last week with the Council of Europe for information about the Convention on Access to Official Documents. The convention, still in draft form, has been heavily criticised and is being finalized under a shroud of secrecy. Read more...
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Urged to Defend Europeans' Right to Know
Strasbourg, 6 November 2008 - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who is currently chairing the Council of Europe, was today called on to defend the public’s right to know on 27 November by not adopting without changes the Council of Europe’s draft Convention on Access to Official Documents. Read more...
European Parliamentarians call on Council of Europe to Redraft Substandard Convention
Strasbourg, 6 October 2008 ― The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Friday (3 October 2008) adopted unanimously a resolution expressing concern that the world’s first treaty intended to guarantee public access to information had significant flaws. In a rare step, PACE called for the Convention on Access to Official Documents to be redrafted. Read more...
Spain: Study reveals citizens’ requests meet with silence and absurd answers
Madrid, 1 October 2008 ― A report by Access Info Europe published today reveals that of over forty requests filed with more than twenty public bodies in Spain during the past year, a full 78% did not receive the requested information. The report “When Public Information is Not Public” sets out the unexpected and unacceptable answers by the Spanish administration in response to information requests. Read more...
Spain's Ministry of Culture refuses information claiming documents “aren't part of a file”
Madrid, 17 September 2008 ― Access Info Europe today launched its campaign to litigate in defence of the right of access to information in Spain with a legal challenge against the Ministry of Culture for refusing to release information on how copyright royalties are spent, under the pretense that the documents requested "are not part of a file". Read more...
Access Info welcomes OAS Principles on Right of Access to Information
Madrid, 11 August 2008 ― Access Info Europe welcomes the adoption on 7 August 2008 by the Organization of American States (OAS) of a set of Principles on the right of access to information1, and calls on the Council of Europe to recognise the same high standard in its future Convention on Access to Official Documents, due to be finalised and adopted in the last quarter of 2008. Read more...
Draft Access Convention falls further below widely accepted standards
Strasbourg, 27th March 2008 ― The Council of Europe’s meeting of the CDDH in Strasbourg, the Steering Committee on Human Rights yesterday (Wednesday 26 March) adopted the draft text of the proposed Convention on Access to Official Documents without incorporating any of the changes proposed by the Slovenian government which were supported by 10 Information Commissioners and substantially reflected the proposals made by Civil Society. The most shocking development was the introduction of an exception to exclude Heads of State from the scope of the right to information. Read more...
Draft European Convention on Access to Official Documents: Seven Key Problems
Strasbourg, 3 March 2008 ― After the final drafting session of the Group of Specialists in Strasbourg (12-15 February 2008), the current version of the draft European Convention on Access to Official Documents, when read together with the text of its Explanatory Memorandum, continues to have serious problems and fails to guarantee a full right of access to information in seven principal ways. Read more...
Press Releases 2006 and 2007
Campaign on European Treaty: Government responses
News update, 11 December 2007 - The Council of Europe’s main Human Rights Committee decided on Wednesday 7 November 2007 to postpone until April 2008 the adoption of the draft European Convention on Access to Official Documents in order to give member states time for consideration of outstanding problems with the draft text. Read more...
International Human Rights Day 2007
Madrid, 10 December 2007 - International Human Rights Day (10 December) sees the launch by Access Info of a pan-European campaign that is calling on governments and the Council of Europe to give full recognition to the right of access to information. The central message of the "Recognise My Right" campaign is that, given that access to information is now established in international law as a human right, national governments should also give the right full recognition. Read more...
Council of Europe Delays Convention to Discuss Range of Problems with Text
Strasbourg, 9 November 2007 - The Council of Europe’s main Human Rights Committee decided on Wednesday 7 November 2007 to postpone until April 2008 adoption of the draft European Convention on Access to Official Documents in order to give member states time for consideration of outstanding problems with the draft text. These problems were presented by over 250 civil society organisations, the Information Comissioners of eight member states, the Slovenian Government, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Read more...
CoE Urged Not to Adopt Access Convention Without Further Discussion
Strasbourg, 5 November 2007 - The Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Human Rights (CDDH) has been urged not to adopt the draft text of the future European Convention on Access to Official Documents when it meets on Wednesday 7 November in Strasbourg. Instead, the CDDH should allow time for further consideration of the outstanding problems with the draft, for finalisation of the Explanatory Memorandum which will interpret the text of the Convention, and for the options to enter reservations on the future treaty to be defined. Read more...
Council of Europe Specialists Refuse to Consider Proposals to Improve Draft Treaty
Strasbourg, 15 October 2007 - A group of 14 country specialists meeting on 9-12 September in Strasbourg refused to consider proposals to bring the future European Convention on Access to Official Documents into line with the prevailing standards in the 47 countries of the Council of Europe. Various recommendations made by civil society, the OSCE and other Information Commissioners were dismissed without discussion. Read more...
Calls for Stronger Access to Information Treaty ahead of Final Drafting Meeting
Strasbourg, 8 October 2007 - Information Commissioners from six European countries have added their voices to a broad coalition of over 500 NGOs and individuals calling on the Council of Europe to reinforce its proposed European Convention on Access to Official Documents. The drafting group, which convenes for its last scheduled meeting from October 9 – 12, also faces calls from the OSCE to ensure the final text does not fall below existing European standards. Read more...Council of Europe urged to recognise full right of access to info
Strasbourg, 15 November 2006 -Three leading freedom of information organizations are calling on the Council of Europe to broaden its future treaty on access to official documents to a wider treaty on access to information. Access Info Europe, Article 19 and the Open Society Justice Initiative today presented to the Council of Europe a new study that shows that the great majority of Council of Europe countries recognise a broad right of access to all information held by all public bodies, rather than the narrower right of access to "official documents". Read more...
