Conference on Communication and Transparency
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:30+01:00Date: 1 and 2 December 2016 Place: Facultad de Derecho of Alcala University, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.
Europe: access to information in practice, not just on paper
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:58+01:00[Article first published by the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso] Long established and widely recognized, the right to access to information is severely curtailed in many European countries due to deficient implementation of existing law In case you missed it, this year marks the 250th anniversary since the world’s first transparency law was adopted, in Sweden in 1766. At a quick glance, it seems we have a lot to celebrate in Europe – every country on the continent (bar Cyprus and Luxembourg which have draft laws) now has a transparency law that gives citizens the right of access to government-held information.
Visit of the European Ombudsman
Helen Darbishire2020-01-29T10:48:22+01:00Date: 30 November at 12:30 pm Place: Consejo de Transparencia y Buen Gobierno’s Headquarters, Madrid
Panel Discussion on Transparency and Good Governance
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:31+01:00Date: 28 November 2016, at 4pm Place: Spanish National Institute of Public Administration
Spanish Transparency Council confirms that Agendas of Cabinet meetings of the Government is public information
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:58+01:00Madrid, 14 November 2016 – Access Info today welcomed the recent ruling by the Spanish Transparency Council that agendas of Cabinet meetings constitute information that should be available for public scrutiny in accordance with the obligations set out in Spain’s Transparency Law. The Council’s important Decision rejected the arguments of the Ministry of the Presidency, concluding that publication of the red and green index[1] in the agendas is not “internal information” and does not harm “the confidentiality of the discussions” of the Spanish Cabinet. “This very important decision gives the public the chance to know what topics will be discussed
One step forward, two steps back: New Italian FOIA fails to improve adequate appeals mechanism
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:59+01:00Madrid, 10 November 2016 - Access Info Europe has expressed serious concern that Italy’s newly-adopted “FOIA” still falls far behind international standards after an analysis of the quality of the law ranked Italy 54th out of 111 countries. The pro-transparency organisation criticised the decree, passed in May this year, specifically because it weakens the appeals system by abandoning Italy’s Information Commission as a national oversight body. “Italy’s new FOIA forces requesters to go through the infamously-slow Italian court system in order to challenge non-disclosure of information, making it difficult to hold public officials accountable and near-impossible for citizens to participate
La asignatura pendiente de regular los ‘lobbies’
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:32+01:00El País | 06/11/2016 Spanish - “En España no se negocia, se presiona”. La frase es una de tantas escritas en las redes sociales a propósito de la formación de Gobierno (y por la polvareda posterior) e ilustra un pensamiento colectivo sobre cuáles son las prácticas habituales en el proceso de toma de decisiones. Read more...
Los conflictos de interés del Gobierno Rajoy
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:32+01:00El País | 03/11/2016 Spanish - Los ministros de Mariano Rajoy se han levantado de la mesa del Consejo de Ministros en al menos 56 ocasiones desde que este asumió la presidencia, en diciembre de 2011, para evitar tomar decisiones que afectan a empresas en las que han trabajado o en las que tienen intereses sus cónyuges o familiares. Read more...
EuroPCom 2016: 7th European Conference on Public Communication
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:32+01:00Date: 20 and 21 October Place: Brussels
Workshop on Transparency and the practical application of the Right to Access to Information
Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:33+01:00Date: 18 October 2016, at 16:30h Place: MediaLab-Prado, Madrid [How to get there]