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Spain: Government says “Working Hard” Preparing for Transparency Law

2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Madrid, 9 December 2014 -- The Spanish access to information law enters into force at the national level on Wednesday 10 December 2014, but with just one week to go to until citizens can start presenting requests, there is little sign of preparation, with the transparency portal not having been launched and the oversight body, the Transparency Council, not having been formed. In a meeting with Secretary of State for Communication, Carmen Martinez Castro, on Thursday 4 December 2014, an international delegation of freedom of expression organisations was told that the transparency law is a priority for the current Spanish

Spain: Government says “Working Hard” Preparing for Transparency Law2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Proactive lobbying transparency measures welcomed by civil society but loopholes remain

2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Madrid – Access Info Europe has welcomed the 25 November decision by the European Commission to proactively publish information about meetings between high level officials and lobbyists, but has raised concerns that the measures do not go far enough and contain loopholes which could seriously undermine the transparency initiative. Of particular concern is the lack of independent criteria for ascertaining whether or not the name of a particular lobbyist should be withheld from the public, with this hinging solely on whether or not the lobbyists provide “unambiguous consent”. This loophole leaves transparency in the hands of the lobbyists, who are

Proactive lobbying transparency measures welcomed by civil society but loopholes remain2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

First International Freedom of Expression Mission to Spain 1-3 December

2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

Concerns include abuse of defamation laws, regulation of broadcast media, and the right of access to information Madrid, 26 November 2014 - A mission of international freedom of expression experts will visit Spain during 1-3 December 2014 in order to gather information about levels of press freedom, freedom of expression and the right of access to information. The first mission of its kind, it is led by the International Press Institute (IPI) in coordination with Access Info Europe, and includes representatives of leading media freedom groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), the World Association

First International Freedom of Expression Mission to Spain 1-3 December2018-11-13T10:11:32+01:00

European Commission Vice President challenges institutions to be transparent about meetings with lobbyists

2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00

Madrid - This Wednesday, Vice-President Timmermans, responsible for transparency and better regulation, challenged the European Parliament and Council to follow the Commission's lead on lobby transparency. The statement was made after the college of Commissioners debated Jean Claude Juncker's promised to proactively publish information about meetings with lobbyists. The European Commission has announced that, as of 1 December 2014, EU Commissioners, all cabinet staff and high level officials such as Directors General will implement a series of initiatives which, according to Vice President Timmermans, include “full transparency” on Commissioners' agendas and proactive publication of lobby information so that citizens can

European Commission Vice President challenges institutions to be transparent about meetings with lobbyists2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00

Midiendo impactos medioambientales a través del derecho de acceso a la información

2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00

Madrid, 20 de noviembre de 2014 - Las organizaciones Access Info Europe, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Ecologistas en Acción, Fundació Ent, Greenpeace, Oceana, y WWF, han pedido información acerca del posicionamiento del gobierno español sobre la reforma del Reglamento de la Unión Europea sobre la pesca en aguas profundas del Atlántico nororiental, en una carta dirigida a la ministra de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, Isabel García Tejerina. La carta a la ministra García Tejerina incluye ocho preguntas a través de las cuales se pretende descifrar el impacto que la propuesta planteada por la Comisión Europea tendría sobre el sector

Midiendo impactos medioambientales a través del derecho de acceso a la información2018-11-13T10:11:33+01:00

EU Member States to Implement Directive for Companies to Disclose Non-Financial Information on Environment and Human Rights

2020-02-14T11:19:16+01:00

Brussels/Madrid, 15 November 2014 - The Directive requiring large EU companies to produce yearly statements revealing non-financial information must now be implemented by Member States following its adoption by the Council of the European Union last month and its publication in the Official Journal of the EU today. The Directive will specifically require businesses to publish information relating to environmental, social, and employee-related matters, human rights, anti-corruption, and bribery as well as produce an evaluation of potential risks involved and the strategy employed to mitigate them. Access Info Europe welcomes the Directive's implementation across Europe. "As the first EU legislation

EU Member States to Implement Directive for Companies to Disclose Non-Financial Information on Environment and Human Rights2020-02-14T11:19:16+01:00

Message to AsktheEU.org Users – Latest news and server transfer

2020-01-30T10:20:28+01:00

[UPDATE 18 November 2014 - AsktheEU.org was successfully transferred over to the mySociety servers] 13 November 2014 Dear Users and Potential Users of AsktheEU.org First of all, thanks to all our users and all those who have collaborated with AsktheEU.org in the first three years of our existence. AsktheEU.org has become and will continue to serve as an important platform for increasing the transparency of the EU institutions by permitting citizens to make access to documents requests to EU bodies and publishing the answer to those requests online. This is to let you know that on 17-18 November, AsktheEU.org will

Message to AsktheEU.org Users – Latest news and server transfer2020-01-30T10:20:28+01:00

“If there is something you have always wanted to know, why not ask?” – Interview with Vicky Cann

2018-11-13T10:11:35+01:00

[Originally published on AsktheEU.org on 13 November 2014] Madrid, 13 November 2014 - Vicky Cann is a campaigner for Corporate Europe Observatory, a research and campaign group working to expose and challenge the privileged access and influence enjoyed by corporations and lobby groups in EU policy making. Vicky makes access to documents requests through AsktheEU.org to expose potential conflicts of interest or highlight where the EU revolving door rules have not been followed. She spoke to Andreas Pavlou of Access Info Europe about her experiences. - Thank you Vicky for taking time out to speak with us about your experience

“If there is something you have always wanted to know, why not ask?” – Interview with Vicky Cann2018-11-13T10:11:35+01:00

#Luxleaks Scandal Highlights Urgent Need for Corporate Transparency

2018-11-13T10:11:35+01:00

Comment by Pam Bartlett Quintanilla, Campaigner at Access Info Europe Madrid, 12 November 2014 - Top on the agenda of the European Parliament today is the #luxleaks scandal, uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists through the leaking of hundreds of secret tax agreements signed between Luxembourg and large multinational companies, when Jean-Claude Juncker, the new President of the European Commission, was Finance Minister and then Prime Minister of Luxembourg. Luxembourg is well-known for its culture of banking secrecy and for its past refusals to cooperate fully with tax transparency initiatives launched by the EU and other inter-governmental fora

#Luxleaks Scandal Highlights Urgent Need for Corporate Transparency2018-11-13T10:11:35+01:00
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