El País | 10/05/2016 Spanish- Han pasado más de tres años desde que venció la fecha dada por la Comisión Europea a los Estados Miembros para que concretaran en planes nacionales cómo iban a implementar los Principios Rectores sobre Empresas y Derechos Humanos de la ONU. España no ha cumplido y, según el Gobierno, los ciudadanos no tenemos derecho a saber porqué. Read more...
Madrid, 9 May 2016 - On Europe Day, Access Info’s Executive Director Helen Darbishire was happy to open a DHL package from the European Commission with the response to a request submitted on 16 November 2015 for information about the database in which the travel and entertainment expenses of the European Commissioners are stored. We asked about the database because we’ve been told it’s not possible to provide numerical data on how much each Commissioner spends on travel and entertainment without also providing personal data, which would take many days to redact. In the modern information era this seems odd.
Date: 2-4 May 2016 Place: Helsinki, Finland
EU Observer | 03/05/2016 English - The EU should scrutinise contacts between decision makers and interest groups more closely, the European Commission's vice-president said on Monday (2 May). Read more...
Madrid, 3 May 2016 - The Open Government Partnership is in need of substantial reforms in order for it to become a real actor of change for greater transparency, participation and accountability worldwide, Access Info Europe and Alianza Regional have stated in an open letter sent to the organisation’s Steering Committee. The letter, supported by 64 civil society organisations, addresses five areas of improvement aiming to increase the OGP’s credibility and strengthen its core values: » Establishing clear and rigorous criteria for dealing with human rights violations by participating countries; » Ensuring real participation and co-creation of OGP Action Plans;
Date: 1-2 May, 2016 Place: Brussels
Compromiso Empresarial | 26/04/2016 Spanish - La Ley de Transparencia, acceso a la información pública y buen gobierno entró plenamente en vigor el pasado 10 de diciembre de 2015, hace apenas cinco meses. Desde esa fecha todas las Administraciones Públicas españolas recogidas en el ámbito subjetivo de la ley, artículo 2, deben cumplir con la publicidad activa y el acceso a la información pública. Read more...
La Vanguardia | 25/04/2016 Spanish - Las elecciones del 20-D pintaron un nuevo escenario político en el Congreso de los Diputados. Las 350 personas que componen el hemiciclo tienen que declarar -al tomar posesión de su escaño y al abandonarlo- sus bienes patrimoniales y los ingresos del año anterior. Es así desde que en julio de 2011 el Congreso aprobó modificar la Ley Orgánica de Régimen Electoral General (LOREG) para añadir este procedimiento. Read more...
La Vanguardia | 19/04/2016 Spanish - El Consejo de Transparencia y el máximo órgano de los gestores administrativos trabajarán juntos en el acceso a la información y el derecho a saber. Read more...
This article was originally published by ALTER-EU. Brussels, 18 April 2016 - Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans' launch in March of a consultation to improve the EU lobby register came seven months late. Does it herald a genuine step forward towards improved lobby transparency in Brussels? A database of organisations working to influence EU legislation, the European transparency register was designed to boost the image and integrity of the institutions. The Commission's latest moves to reassess the tool are welcome, however campaigners and veterans of such processes would be forgiven for being a little weary at the thought of yet another