Blog – Page 25 – Access Info Europe

EU urged to protect rule of law during coronavirus states of emergency

Helen Darbishire2020-04-27T18:01:18+02:00

Madrid, 16 April 2020 – Access Info Europe today joined 80 MEPs and civil society organisations in calling on the European Union to address restrictions on the rule of law and human rights, including freedom of expression and information, being introduced via coronavirus pandemic emergency measures. In an open letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel, the signatories warn of the misuse of the coronavirus crisis to silence dissent, limit freedom of expression, marginalise civil society, and erode democratic values. The letter also calls on the EU to ensure that the

EU urged to protect rule of law during coronavirus states of emergencyHelen Darbishire2020-04-27T18:01:18+02:00

EU urged to improve data and debate on gender equality

Helen Darbishire2022-10-26T12:40:09+02:00

Madrid, 8 April 2020 – Access Info Europe today called on the European Commission to collect and publish more data on gender equality, after finding low levels of gender data publication across Europe and revealing that the EU’s Statistical Office Eurostat has excluded various gender-related indicators as not relevant. In letters sent to Helena Dalli, EU Commissioner for Equality, and Paolo Gentiloni, EU Commissioner for Economy in charge of Eurostat and coordination of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Access Info noted that little over half (57%) of the SDG gender-related indicators are published in the European region, as shown

EU urged to improve data and debate on gender equalityHelen Darbishire2022-10-26T12:40:09+02:00

Now more than ever: transparency and whistleblower protection

Helen Darbishire2021-11-12T17:13:10+01:00

Madrid, 6 April 2020– Access Info Europe today joined leading transparency and anti-corruption organisations in calling on all public authorities to ensure and strengthen whistleblower protection during the state of emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Now more than ever: transparency and whistleblower protectionHelen Darbishire2021-11-12T17:13:10+01:00

Montenegro urged to halt public consultation on access to information law during the state of emergency

Helen Darbishire2020-04-27T18:01:43+02:00

Madrid, 1 April 2020 – Access Info today joined 41 Montenegrin NGOs and 28 journalists in calling on the government of Montenegro to halt moves to weaken the Law on Free Access to Information in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter of concern sent to Montenegro’s Ministry of Public Administration, Access Info called on it to postpone a public consultation on reforms to the Law on Free Access to Information that is taking place this week with a deadline of 4 April. This public consultation comes just at a time when people are confined to their homes,

Montenegro urged to halt public consultation on access to information law during the state of emergencyHelen Darbishire2020-04-27T18:01:43+02:00

EU urged to condemn Hungary’s limits on freedom of expression and information as part of Coronavirus crisis emergency measures

Helen Darbishire2020-04-27T18:01:52+02:00

Madrid, 30 March 2020 – Access Info has expressed serious concerns about the sweeping powers granted to Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orbán in a parliamentary vote approving indefinite rule by decree and jail terms for spreading misinformation. Access Info’s Director Helen Darbishire is one of the first signatories of a petition developed with MEPs, which is now open for all to sign. “The Coronavirus pandemic is being used as a pretext or another step towards undermining democracy and human rights in Hungary. This is something that the European Union and other Member States can neither ignore nor tolerate,” commented Helen

EU urged to condemn Hungary’s limits on freedom of expression and information as part of Coronavirus crisis emergency measuresHelen Darbishire2020-04-27T18:01:52+02:00

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?

Helen Darbishire2022-10-26T12:37:27+02:00

This article was originally published on 27 March 2020 and later uptaded on 23 September 2020. Madrid, 27 March 2020- In several European countries there is poor availability of data on Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, research by Access Info Europe has found. This makes it impossible for citizens to know how well their country is progressing towards reducing discrimination and violence against women, and securing genuine equality in areas such as education, the workplace, and political participation. The report "Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?" can be downloaded here Research conducted

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?Helen Darbishire2022-10-26T12:37:27+02:00

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?

Helen Darbishire2020-09-23T12:56:00+02:00

This report was originally published in March 2020 and later updated in July 2020. 27 March 2020- Across Europe governments are failing to make public data on gender equality, research by Access Info Europe has found, making it impossible for citizens to track national progress on Sustainable Development Goal indicators on reducing discrimination and violence against women, and on securing equality in education, employment, and political participation. The report “Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?” shows that for seven countries – Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Spain and the United Kingdom – on average little

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?Helen Darbishire2020-09-23T12:56:00+02:00

Access Info and Maltese CSOs discuss strategies for strengthening the right to information

Helen Darbishire2020-04-01T11:24:52+02:00

Malta, 6 March 2020 – Access Info Europe representatives today met with civil society and journalists from Malta to discuss strategies for improving respect for the right of access to information. The discussion centred on how to ensure that the 2008 Freedom of Information Act is properly implemented, as well as how to secure eventual improvements to the law, and how to change the administrative culture to one more favourable to transparency and open government. The problems identified include high levels of refusals which do not contain detailed justifications, administrative silence, the length of the appeals process, and examples of

Access Info and Maltese CSOs discuss strategies for strengthening the right to informationHelen Darbishire2020-04-01T11:24:52+02:00

Call for Transparency of Frontex

Helen Darbishire2020-05-04T10:04:56+02:00

Madrid/Brussels, 5 March 2020 – Access Info Europe today joined Open Knowledge Germany and more than 40 civil society organisations in calling on the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to stop imposing legal fees on activists and human rights defenders in order to prevent them from exercising their right to access information. In a letter sent to the Frontex Director, Fabrice Leggeri, and the Head of Legal and Procurement Unit, Hervé Caniard, the organisations ask the EU agency to retract the lawyers’ bill passed to activists Luisa Izuzquiza and Arne Semsrott, who had presented the first access to

Call for Transparency of FrontexHelen Darbishire2020-05-04T10:04:56+02:00

Malta: Access Info in Court to defend the right of access to information

Helen Darbishire2020-03-05T16:51:04+01:00

Malta, 5 March 2020 – Access Info today argued before the Maltese Information and Data Protection Appeals Tribunal that denying non-residents the right to request information violates Malta’s commitments under international human rights law, EU law, and its own Constitution. The legal challenge relates to a refusal in August 2019 by Malta’s Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security to register a request on migrant returns made by Access Info’s Martina Tombini on the grounds that Malta’s FOI law states that only those who are EU citizens and have been resident for at least five years can submit requests. In

Malta: Access Info in Court to defend the right of access to informationHelen Darbishire2020-03-05T16:51:04+01:00