6 August 2012, Madrid–The current version of the legislative bill on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance has now been published by the Spanish government. Please, see links below to access the updated bill:
The legislative bill on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance (27 July 2012)
Comparing the text of the draft Law on Transparency with its previous version (by TuDerechoaSaber)
30 July 2012, Madrid – On Friday 27 July the Spanish Council of Ministers (Cabinet) passed the legislative bill on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance, (proyecto de Ley de Transparencia, Acceso a la Información Pública y Buen Gobierno). The draft bill, which was previously opened up to public consultation, has now passed into the parliamentary debate stage of the legislative process, although the current version of the law has not been made public.
According to currently available information, the text of the transparency bill has been modified based on recommendations from the Data Protection Agency and the Spanish Consejo de Estado (a government advisory body). It is unknown to Access Info whether or not this new version of the draft law also takes on board repeated criticism from civil society and the OSCE of the earlier versions of the text or whether it has incorporated citizen imput given that the 3,700 contributions to the public consultation have not been published either.
“This lack of openness is contradictory with the search for greater transparency. Key documents such as the text of the current bill and reports from external entities that have contributed to it should be published proactively. Now, more than ever, it is vital to ensure access to information to citizens in order to facilitate genuine public participation in the decision making process,” commented Lydia Medland from Access Info Europe.
The next step in the legislative process will be the parliamentary debate, at which point the responsibility will fall on members of parliament to ensure that the law complies with international standards such as the Council.