FacebookXInstagramYouTubeEmailWhatsAppLinkedIn
23 Sep 2024

Finalists Announced for the Inaugural Access Info Impact Award

2024-09-24T09:24:58+02:00

Madrid 23 September 2024 – Access Info is proud to announce the three finalists for the first-ever Access Info Impact Award. The Access Info Impact Award aims to honour individuals and organisations that have effectively used their right to information to advance human rights, environmental protection, democracy, or anti-corruption efforts. After opening nominations last month, the award received 21 high-calibre entries from civil society organisations, journalists, academics, and citizens across Europe. A distinguished Evaluation Committee has carefully reviewed all the nominations and shortlisted the following three outstanding candidates: Lighthouse Reports - Uncovering discrimination in algorithmic decision-making The investigative series

Finalists Announced for the Inaugural Access Info Impact Award2024-09-24T09:24:58+02:00
12 Aug 2024

Call for nominations for the Access Info Impact Award

2024-09-24T09:28:57+02:00

Madrid, 12 August 2024 – Access Info Europe today announces the launch of the Access Info Impact Award which celebrates those who have used their right to information to have a positive impact on society.   The Access Info Impact Award recognises those who have significantly leveraged their right to information to advance human rights, environmental protection, democracy, and/or anti-corruption efforts.  By celebrating exemplary achievements of civil society advocates, campaigners, journalists, academics and practitioners across Europe, the award aims to highlight the importance of the right to information and inspire others to utilise this powerful tool. Through this award,

Call for nominations for the Access Info Impact Award2024-09-24T09:28:57+02:00
6 Dec 2022

Not all Expression is Lobbying

2023-01-11T12:13:43+01:00

Submission to OECD Consultation on Lobbying and Influence Madrid, 6 December 2022 – In its analysis of the draft OECD Recommendation on the regulation of lobbying and influence, Access Info has warned of the risk of some governments using the proposed provisions to limit media freedom and freedom of expression in the name of regulating “influence” and ensuring that public officials are “shielded from undue influence”. In the full version of its submission to the consultation on the OECD Recommendation on Transparency and Integrity in Lobbying and Influence (hereinafter “Draft Recommendation) [1], Access Info highlights concerns about the broad

Not all Expression is Lobbying2023-01-11T12:13:43+01:00
11 Mar 2022

Is the Guardian of the Treaties Doing Enough for EU Transparency? MEPs don’t seem to think so!

2022-03-11T12:52:13+01:00

Madrid, 11 March 2022 – On 10 March 2022, following the scandal about the Commission refusing access to President Ursula von der Leyen’s text messages, the European Parliament held a plenary session to discuss application of the EU’s access to documents rules, known as Regulation 1049/2001. Yet, the Commission President, much like her text message conversation with the CEO of Pfizer, was nowhere to be found. Rachel Hanna, Legal Researcher at Access Info reports. The Commission’s decision to refuse an access to documents request regarding text messages exchanged between President Ursula von der Leyen and the CEO of Pfizer on

Is the Guardian of the Treaties Doing Enough for EU Transparency? MEPs don’t seem to think so!2022-03-11T12:52:13+01:00
14 Feb 2022

Access to meetings calendars? Access Info submits Amicus Curiae Brief to the European Court of Human Rights

2022-03-11T11:57:13+01:00

Madrid / Strasbourg, 14 February 2022 – There is strong comparative evidence from across Europe that national access to information laws apply to the meetings calendars of senior public officials according to a submission made by Access Info to the European Court of Human Rights. This evidence has been presented in the form of an Amicus Curiae (“friend of the court”) Brief submitted in relation to the case of Citizens Network Watchdog Poland vs. Poland currently under consideration by Europe’s top human rights court. This case arose when the organisation Watchdog Poland requested the calendars of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal

Access to meetings calendars? Access Info submits Amicus Curiae Brief to the European Court of Human Rights2022-03-11T11:57:13+01:00
28 Jan 2022

European Commission President’s text messages are documents and can be requested says Ombudsman

2022-01-28T15:13:58+01:00

Madrid / Brussels, 28 January 2022 – Access Info has hailed today’s decision by the European Ombudsman that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s text messages with the CEO of Pfizer about Covid vaccine purchases are documents to which the public can request access. Access Info is calling for an urgent reform to ensure that the EU’s twenty-year-old access to documents rules are brought into line with the digital age. Rather remarkably, the European Commission had told Alexander Fanta, a journalist with netzpolitik.org, that because it does not register text messages, these cannot be requested. This refusal came to a

European Commission President’s text messages are documents and can be requested says Ombudsman2022-01-28T15:13:58+01:00
1 Apr 2021

Access Info and the Daphne Foundation kick-off the first event of the FOI Youth Project

2021-04-01T15:12:18+02:00

Madrid and Valletta, 1 April 2021– Access Info Europe and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation are pleased to announce the launch of the Freedom of Information Youth Project, which will raise awareness among young people of the benefits of exercising the fundamental right of access to information for combatting disinformation and protecting democracy.

Access Info and the Daphne Foundation kick-off the first event of the FOI Youth Project2021-04-01T15:12:18+02:00
26 Jan 2021

Concern re Independence of Spain’s Transparency Council

2021-01-26T22:07:47+01:00

Access Info Europe is seriously concerned about recent changes to key personnel in Spain’s Transparency Council, which raise the spectre of an attack on the independence of the Council, and points to the urgent need to reform the process by which its directors are appointed.

Concern re Independence of Spain’s Transparency Council2021-01-26T22:07:47+01:00
25 Jan 2021

CALL for Participants – Freedom of Information Youth Project!

2021-03-31T10:40:33+02:00

Are you between 18 and 30 years old, passionate about human rights and journalism, and resident in either Malta or Spain? Then we are looking for you! The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation and Access Info Europe, two civil society organisations based in Malta and Madrid, are looking for youths interested in participating in the one-year Freedom of Information Youth Project! The project aims to offer to a group of 45 young people based in Spain and Malta the possibility to participate in a series of training sessions designed to leverage the fundamental right of access to information and raise greater

CALL for Participants – Freedom of Information Youth Project!2021-03-31T10:40:33+02:00
18 Dec 2020

EU Council urged to end Corporate Lobbying

2020-12-22T11:01:17+01:00

Access Info Europe today joined Corporate Europe Observatory, Transparência e Integridade and 63 other civil society organisations from across Europe, calling on the incoming Portuguese Presidency of the European Union to push for much needed lobby transparency, accountability and democratic reforms within the Council.

EU Council urged to end Corporate Lobbying2020-12-22T11:01:17+01:00
Original content developed by Access Info Europe and is made public under a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike licence.