New Spanish government's first meeting with civil society on the future of transparency in Spain

Madrid, 20 January, 2012 – Access Info Europe today attended a meeting with the Ministry of the Presidency, organized by the Secretary of State for Relations with the Parliament, to discuss the future Spanish law on transparency and access to information in Spain.

During the meeting, Access Info Europe emphasized the need for the law to address issues which were not satisfactorily resolved in previous proposals. These shortcomings include recognition of the right of access to information as a fundamental right and the need to create an independent oversight body that will guarantee correct implementation of the future law.

"We are optimistic because the new government is taking the right steps to ensure a transparent and participative drafting process for this law and we hope it will result in approval of a strong and progressive access to information law in Spain," said Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe.

During the meeting, the Secretary of State José Luis Ayllón Manso stated that the new government is working with all the information that the former administration had compiled and that their goal is to create a text which reflects the highest possible level of consensus with civil society and other political forces when it is presented to parliament.

The fact that this meeting with members of civil society was organized within the first month following the appointment of the new government can be seen as a sign that transparency is a key issue for the new government.

Access Info Europe also discussed Spain's membership of the Open Government Partnership and received assurances from the government that it is reviewing what possible commitments it can make in the short time left before they should be presented in Brasilia in April 2012.

A further issue raised is Spain's participation in the case between Access Info Europe and the Council of the European Union over access to EU documents currently pending before the European Court of Justice. The previous government joined Spain on the side of the Council; Access Info Europe urged the new government to withdraw.

For more information- in English or Spanish- please contact:

Helen Darbishire, Executive Director, Access Info Europe

email: helen@access-info.org

tel: + 34 667 685 319

Victoria Anderica, Legal Researcher and Campaigner, Access Info Europe

email: victoria@access-info.org

tel: 606 59 29 76