08 May 2025 – Access Info Europe, alongside a coalition of transparency and accountability organisations, has written to newly elected European Ombudsman Ms. Anjinho urging action to address the “systematic erosion of transparency standards and practices within the EU institutions.”

In a joint letter, the coalition congratulated Ms. Anjinho on her election and welcomed her leadership at a pivotal moment for the future of EU democracy. They called on her to use the powers of her office to ensure that transparency is “not merely a theoretical principle, but is implemented by the institutions in practice.”

The coalition – which includes ARTICLE 19, ClientEarth, Corporate Europe Observatory, European Environmental Bureau, LobbyControl, and Transparency International EU – raised concerns about recent developments, notably the December 2024 revision of the European Commission’s Rules of Procedure, which significantly weakens transparency in access to documents and raises serious legal and democratic concerns. These rules have already prompted two separate legal challenges from members of the coalition.

Referencing Regulation 1049/2001 – the EU’s access to documents law – the coalition stated that its flawed implementation has resulted in restrictive document management practices, the absence of real-time legislative transparency, and persistent failures to comply with legal timeframes.

“These shortcomings are not abstract violations of legal procedure; they have real consequences – excluding citizens from EU decision-making processes and weakening democratic oversight,” the letter stated.

The coalition urges the Ombudsman to:

  • Advocate for more robust enforcement of Regulation 1049/2001 to reflect today’s digital information landscape;
  • Push for greater institutional commitment to proactive transparency, ensuring that key EU decision-making processes are open to public scrutiny in real time;
  • Hold EU institutions accountable when they fail to meet their transparency obligations.

Members of the coalition will meet with the Ombudsman to explore ways to support her office’s efforts and to collaborate on safeguarding the fundamental right of access to EU documents.