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28 May 2019

Contest: Digital solution for citizen participation

2020-01-29T10:49:27+01:00

You have an idea for a new app or platform which can enable better communication and cooperation of citizens in addressing the problems of their communities? You think that digital democracy can support higher inclusion of citizens in policy-making? If your answers to these questions are positive, we invite you to share your idea about innovative digital solution which would strengthen citizen activism and improve the communication between citizens and decision-makers. We will select maximum 5 best ideas, while a grant award in the amount of 2,000 Euros will be awarded to the winner with the aim of developing the

Contest: Digital solution for citizen participation2020-01-29T10:49:27+01:00
25 May 2019

2019 European Elections: an evaluation of the political manifestos

2019-05-31T12:06:24+02:00

A few hours away from the European Elections, Access Info invites for European citizens to elect their next representatives.  Because well informed voting is crucial for our future, we evaluated the electoral programs of five countries in which the representation is high, for their transparency in European Union activities. Among these countries are: France, Germany, Italy, Spain (only available in Spanish), and the United Kingdom. The methodology used is as follows: Thematic Choice: A number of transparency-related topics have been evaluated. Transparency of decision making within the EU institutions and in the processes are two of them. Legislative initiative, transparency

2019 European Elections: an evaluation of the political manifestos2019-05-31T12:06:24+02:00
4 Feb 2019

Members of European Parliament vote for transparency about who lobbies them

2020-01-29T11:06:57+01:00

With a difference of four votes, there is now more transparency in lobbying of Members of the European Parliament. The European Parliament voted for MEPs to publish online information about meetings with lobbyist on 31 January 2019. The vote had to be approved by at least 376 votes for an amendment to its Rules of Procedure. With a total of 630 members of the European Parliament, 380 were for the proposal, 224 against, and 26 abstained. Now whenever members of the European Parliament interact with lobbyist their scheduled meetings and notes must be published online. For more information: https://sven-giegold.de/groundbreaking-success-lobby-transparency/   

Members of European Parliament vote for transparency about who lobbies them2020-01-29T11:06:57+01:00
3 Jul 2018

European Parliament leaders vote against spending transparency

2020-01-29T10:40:48+01:00

Madrid, 3 July 2018 – Access Info condemns the move by the European Parliament to keep secret details how Member of the European Parliament (MEPs) spend their general expenditure allowance, a lump sum amount of €4,342 per month. The vote on the evening of 2 July by the Bureau of the European Parliament, a body of 14 senior MEPs, which oversees budget and administration matters, voted down a proposal to increase transparency around the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA), which would have resulted in requiring receipts to be kept and checked and unspent funds to be returned. The 2 July

European Parliament leaders vote against spending transparency2020-01-29T10:40:48+01:00
28 Jun 2018

Montenegro: Analysis of 2017 amendments finds that they seriously undermine the Law on Free Access to Information

2020-01-29T11:14:13+01:00

Access Info and MANS call for a working group on reform of the law, possibly as part of Montenegro’s re-established OGP process Madrid/Podgorica, 28 June 2018: Access Info Europe and MANS today called on the Montenegrin government to undo its 2017 amendments to Law on Free Access to Information (originally adopted in 2006) in order to bring it back into line with international standards. In an analysis of the Law also launched today, Access Info and MANS signalled that a particular concern is Article 1, newly added in 2017, which contains a series of class exclusions such

Montenegro: Analysis of 2017 amendments finds that they seriously undermine the Law on Free Access to Information2020-01-29T11:14:13+01:00
23 Mar 2018

The General Court of the European Union rules in favour of greater openness of the EU legislative process

2018-11-13T10:03:04+01:00

Madrid, 23 March 2018 – Access Info has welcomed the 22 March 2018 judgment of the General Court of the European Union in the case of De Capitani v Parliament, a ruling in favour of legislative transparency. The Court found that the European Parliament was wrong when, in 2016, it denied Emilio De Capitani, a former senior official at the Parliament, access to documents produced in the EU’s secretive, informal, “trilogue” negotiations between the Council, Commission, and Parliament. The General Court emphasised that “openness strengthens democracy by allowing scrutiny of the legislative process” and that “the possibility for citizens to

The General Court of the European Union rules in favour of greater openness of the EU legislative process2018-11-13T10:03:04+01:00
2 Mar 2018

European Commission starts publishing travel expenses proactively

2019-11-04T17:11:42+01:00

Madrid, 2 March 2018 – Access Info Europe has welcomed today the start of proactive publication of EU Commissioners travel expenses as a positive step towards greater transparency and accountability of spending of public funds. Proactive publication of this information had been a crucial demand of Access Info, which has led a campaign for greater transparency of travel expenses since 2014. Finally, in September 2017 the European Commission had announced changes to Commissioners’ code of conduct that would require publication of these expenses every two months. Since Wednesday (28 February 2018), the information is publicly available online, although it’s not

European Commission starts publishing travel expenses proactively2019-11-04T17:11:42+01:00
13 Feb 2018

Greater transparency of Council legislative process, fundamental for representative democracy, says European Ombudsman

2018-11-13T10:03:04+01:00

Madrid, 13 February 2018 – Access Info today welcomed the European Ombudsman recommendation that the Council of the European Union increase transparency of its legislative process in order to guarantee citizens’ right to hold their elected representatives to account and to participate in the democratic life of the EU. Two main findings of the Ombudsman’s inquiry into transparency of the Council, to which Access Info submitted a series of proposals in December 2017, are that the Council’s systematic failure to record the names of Member States along with their positions on legislative matters constitutes maladministration, and that there is over-classification

Greater transparency of Council legislative process, fundamental for representative democracy, says European Ombudsman2018-11-13T10:03:04+01:00
2 Feb 2018

European Commission formalises commitment to public travel expenses

2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00

Madrid, 2 February 2018 - The European Commission has formalised its commitment, first pledged in September 2017, to make public the travel expenses of the Commissioners: on 31 January 2018 the new Code of Conduct for the Members of the European Commission was published and it confirms that mission expenses will be published every two months. This commitment in the new Code of Conduct comes exactly one year since, on 27 January 2017, Access Info launched a public campaign calling for publication of the Commissioners’ travel expenses. The campaign attracted media coverage, over both the lack of transparency and –

European Commission formalises commitment to public travel expenses2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00
3 Jan 2018

Access Info calls for greater transparency of Council of the EU in submission to European Ombudsman

2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00

Madrid, 3 January 2018 – Access Info has recommended that the Council of the European Union significantly increase transparency of the legislative process, in particular by providing the public with details on the positions that EU Member States take in negotiations on legislation. These recommendations were submitted to the European Ombudsman’s consultation held as part of her enquiry into transparency of the Council, which is based in large part on the case of Council v. Access Info Europe, won by Access Info on 17 October 2013, in which the Court of Justice of the EU established the right of the

Access Info calls for greater transparency of Council of the EU in submission to European Ombudsman2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00
Original content developed by Access Info Europe and is made public under a Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike licence.