European Commission urged to make procurement transparent to protect pandemic recovery and green spending
Brussels, 29 June 2021 – Leading transparency organisations from across Europe today alerted the European Commission to a series of weaknesses in national public procurement systems, and recommended specific measures urgently needed to protect pandemic recovery funds and green deal spending from corruption.
Spain: Government should guarantee transparency of EU recovery funds
Madrid, 21 June 2021 – Members of the Coalición Pro Acceso and the Open Generation EU Platform have called on the Spanish government to guarantee the transparency of the European pandemic recover funds, after a report revealed the lack of mechanisms for public oversight of these funds.EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility spending at risk due to lack of transparency
Madrid, 15 June 2021- The EU’s massive commitment to spend €672.5 billion on the recovery from the pandemic is at risk of corruption and misuse due to a serious lack of transparency and accountability mechanisms, according to an analysis by civil society organisations from across Europe.
OGP governments urged to open company registers
Madrid, 10 June 2021- Speaking at the Ministerial Level meeting of the Open Government Partnership Steering Committee, Helen Darbishire of Access Info, in her role as a civil society member of the Steering Committee, stressed the need to act on the transparency agenda that the pandemic has indicated should be a top priority.
Open company registers across EU at risk because of revenue concerns of just three Member States
Madrid, 3 June 2021- The European Commission is considering going back on the promise of requiring Member States to open company registers because a handful of rich countries – Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands – could lose income from selling this data, Access Info has discovered.
Open Government Week 2021: Survey finds European civil society is working largely unfunded on national Open Government Partnership activities
Madrid, 21 May 2021- As Open Government week is celebrated around the world, a survey of 24 transparency organisations reveals that most national Open Government Partnership work in Europe is largely unfunded: of an estimated total value of OGP-related work of € 435,220 reported by survey respondents, a full 60%, or €261,130 is unfunded.
Austria urged to strengthen weak draft FOI law
Madrid, 18 May 2021 – Access Info Europe today issued a legal analysis of the draft of the Austrian Freedom of Information Act, expressing concerns over shortcomings such as the narrow definition of information, the absence of an independent oversight body, and the lack of a sanctions regime for non-compliance.
Stop the harassment of human rights activists in Russia
Madrid, 11 May 2021 – Access Info Europe and 97 civil society organisations and individuals today expressed concern about the Russian authorities' persecution and harassment of Ivan Pavlov, freedom of information advocate and lawyer defending opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's Anticorruption Foundation.
EU General Court reduces the legal costs claimed by Frontex against transparency activists
Madrid, 19 April 2021 – Access Info Europe today gave a cautious welcome to the ruling of the General Court of the European Union that Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, had overcharged when it issued a legal bill of €23,700 to two transparency activists after they lost a court case, and that this amount should be reduced to €10,520.Your Right to Know!
