Blog – Page 121 – Access Info Europe

Question to Brussels

Helen Darbishire2020-02-14T11:42:36+01:00

Question for Brussels: How should a citizen request EU documents? At the end of 2009, Access Info filed access to information requests with the 16 Directorate Generals of the European Union. The aim was to monitor whether or not their internal guidelines on answering information requests were of a good enough standard. The findings of Access Info's research, published in the report "Question for Brussels: How should a citizen request EU documents?" include a serious barrier to access posed by languages: only two of the 16 DGs had an internet page about access to documents in all the official languages of the EU. “If you don’t speak English, you

Question to BrusselsHelen Darbishire2020-02-14T11:42:36+01:00

access info’s EU requests

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:02+01:00

Access Info’s Access to EU Documents Requests Access Info firmly believes that an access to information law is meaningless unless it is actually used. Apart from that, making requests is an excellent way to monitor the state of transparency within the European Union. It also provides us with opportunities to push for greater transparency by taking legal action, for example. In general, we request information, wait for the response, and carefully analyse it to see if it is in line with international access to information standards. If it isn’t, we submit a confirmatory application, which is an appeal to the

access info’s EU requestsHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:02+01:00

New Report on Aid Transparency: Not Available! Not Accessible!

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:03+01:00

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 the report "Not Available! Not Accessible!" launched today by Access Info Europe. The study found that only half (52%) of the basic information which should be published on aid agency is available. The evaluation of the websites of five leading aid agencies from Canada, France, Norway, Spain, and the UK, ranked Norway’s aid agency lowest with just 30% and found that the UK’s Department for International Development provided most

New Report on Aid Transparency: Not Available! Not Accessible!Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:03+01:00

Aid Transparency Principles

Helen Darbishire2020-02-14T12:11:58+01:00

Access Info is part of a global campaign to promote transparency of international aid. We started researching this field in 2007 and in 2008, alongside Tiri, we helped to launch the Publish What You Fund initiative. Access Info helped draft a set of principles, the Aid Transparency Principles and has conducted monitoring of donor government transparency. We also conduct training and provide assistance to civil society organisations in developing countries who are trying to get more information about international aid flows. The Aid Transparency Principles (Draft for Consultation) The Aid Transparency Principles (Draft for Consultation) Every year the world’s richest

Aid Transparency PrinciplesHelen Darbishire2020-02-14T12:11:58+01:00

Commitment to review Counter-Terror laws in Europe

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:03+01:00

Commitment to Review Counter-Terror Laws in Europe On Wednesday 7 October Access Info joined 40 organisations in sending an open letter to the Council of Europe’s new Secretary General Thorbjoern Jagland calling for follow up to the commitment made by member states at a meeting held in Reykjavik in May 2009 to review the impact of counter-terror laws on freedom of expression and access to information. We have since received news that the letter has been received and is on the agenda of the next meeting of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and New Communication Services (CDMC)

Commitment to review Counter-Terror laws in EuropeHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:03+01:00

Letter to Zapatero

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:03+01:00

The Coalición Pro Acceso calls for an open and participatory debate around Spain’s new access to information law To mark International Right to Know Day (28 September) the Coalición Pro Acceso launched a campaign in support of access to information in Spain. The Coalición Pro Acceso yesterday wrote to President Zapatero welcoming his recent announcements confirming that the Spanish Government is preparing a law on access to information. The platform of over 30 leading Spanish NGOs and academic experts called for the drafting of the law to be transparent and participatory to ensure inclusion of the Nine Principles which the

Letter to ZapateroHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:03+01:00

Exceptions

Helen Darbishire2021-03-04T13:42:25+01:00

Exceptions: Can I get access to all information (or documents) held by public bodies? No. The right of access to information is not an absolute right. There may be some small quantities of information that public bodies hold that would cause harm if they were released, at least if released at this point in time. For example, to release all information about an ongoing police criminal inquiry might harm the possibility that the police will catch the criminal suspect. After the enquiry is finished and the criminal arrested, the information could be released. This is an example of information being

ExceptionsHelen Darbishire2021-03-04T13:42:25+01:00

Documents not in a file

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:04+01:00

The Spanish Ministry of Culture refuses to provide information: On the grounds that the documents “are not part of a file” 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. The request made by a citizen to the Ministry of Culture was for copies of the annual reports by Spain’s General Association of Authors (the SGAE) as well as the VEGAP (the society that manage the intellectual

Documents not in a fileHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:04+01:00

Cuando lo Publico no es Publico

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:04+01:00

Spain: Study reveals that citizen’s information requests meet with silence, evasion, and absurd answers 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. Download the Report ‘Cuando lo Público no es Público’

Cuando lo Publico no es PublicoHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:04+01:00

Transparency of the Stockholm Programme

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:04+01:00

Transparency of the Stockholm Programme On 15 April 2009, Access Info joined other members of the European Civil Liberties Network in a statement raising concerns about the potential detrimental impact of the EU's "Stockholm programme" on civil liberties in Europe. The "Stockholm Programme" sets the agenda for EU justice and home affairs and internal security policy from 2010 to 2014 and will extend militarised border controls, discriminatory immigration policies, mandatory and proactive surveillance regimes and an increasingly aggressive external security and defence policy. Access Info is calling for the process of adopting and reviewing any new measures to be transparent.

Transparency of the Stockholm ProgrammeHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:14:04+01:00