27 Mar 2020

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?

2020-09-23T12:56:00+02:00

This report was originally published in March 2020 and later updated in July 2020. 27 March 2020- Across Europe governments are failing to make public data on gender equality, research by Access Info Europe has found, making it impossible for citizens to track national progress on Sustainable Development Goal indicators on reducing discrimination and violence against women, and on securing equality in education, employment, and political participation. The report “Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?” shows that for seven countries – Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Spain and the United Kingdom – on average little

Opening Up SDG 5: What do we know about Gender Equality?2020-09-23T12:56:00+02:00
14 Feb 2020

YOU4EU Policy Recommendations

2020-02-14T16:45:34+01:00

The publication ‘YOU4EU Policy Recommendations’ is the result of the project ‘YOU4EU – Citizen Participation 2.0’. A list of conclusions and recommendations aimed at improving transparency and civic participation across Europe. This publication highlights that, in Europe, there is a pressing need to improve citizen participation in decision-making processes, not only at the EU level, but also at national and local levels. However, there is still a long way to go in Europe: communication channels with citizens must improve, and responses to requests must be faster and more comprehensible, leaving aside confusing administrative terminology. There is also an urgent need

YOU4EU Policy Recommendations2020-02-14T16:45:34+01:00
10 Oct 2019

Citizen participation: a pending task in Europe

2019-10-10T16:55:24+02:00

Madrid, 10 October 2019 – National governments, the European Union and elected officials across Europe are failing to respond to communications from citizens. A study published today by Access Info and partner organisations reveals, something that must be addressed with urgency if trust in the political system is to be restored. The report "50 Questions from YOU to the EU" sets out how more than 200 citizens from five countries suggested over 300 questions about the future of Europe, which were then sent to public authorities, MEPs and parliamentarians. The questions related to topics of concern, ranging from the 2019

Citizen participation: a pending task in Europe2019-10-10T16:55:24+02:00
11 Jan 2018

Leave no trace: the right to information and the duty to document

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

This report, Leave No Trace, contains the first comprehensive research into the laws, guidelines, and practices on record keeping across a range of 12 European jurisdictions and the European Commission. It reveals an extremely weak legal infrastructure and hugely variable practice on record keeping, which is undermining the public’s right of access to information: it is impossible to obtain documents that do not exist. The report contains a comparative analysis of the of laws, guidelines, and practices as they relate to the creation and maintenance of information needed for participation and accountability. The direct consequence of the lack of clear-cut

Leave no trace: the right to information and the duty to document2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00
10 Jan 2018

Legal Analysis: Access to Decision-Making Information in Europe

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

This Legal Analysis, based on a study of the access to information laws in eleven (11) countries and that of the European Union, evaluates the extent to which these laws provide transparency of the documents needed to follow and participate in decision making by public bodies. A valuable resource for academics and activists alike, it has sections on the strength and scope of Europe’s access to information laws, on requirements to create records, and on proactive publication obligations as they relate to documents needed to track decision making. With a focus on key classes of information such as minutes of

Legal Analysis: Access to Decision-Making Information in Europe2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00
21 Dec 2016

International Standards for Lobbying Regulation

2018-11-13T09:46:11+01:00

The International Standards for Lobbying Regulation are the result of two years of collaborative work with civil society led by Transparency International, Access Info Europe, Sunlight Foundation and Open Knowledge. This initiative is unique in that it draws on the experience of a broad coalition of civil society organisations active in the field of lobbying transparency and open governance, and goes further than existing regulations and standards. The Standards aim at providing clear guidance to policymakers, governments and international organisations that are thinking of or are in the process of enacting lobbying legislation. They also serve as a reference point

International Standards for Lobbying Regulation2018-11-13T09:46:11+01:00
7 Apr 2016

It’s none of your business! – Report on Europe’s Closed Company Registers

2018-11-13T10:10:47+01:00

Madrid, 7 April 2016 – In the wake of the massive Panama Papers scandal, Access Info Europe and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) have released a report showing that in most European jurisdictions data on company ownership is almost impossible for the public to obtain. For an investigative journalist tracking down money laundering or organised crime, the main obstacle to accessing company registration information in Europe is financial: the register can be obtained for prices ranging from €75,000 in the Netherlands to € 286,000 in Estonia; single record costs range from €2.33 in France to €767.00 in

It’s none of your business! – Report on Europe’s Closed Company Registers2018-11-13T10:10:47+01:00
22 Mar 2016

Member state offices in Brussels wide open to corporate lobbyists

2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00

Brussels/Madrid, 22 March 2016 – Corporate lobbyists enjoy widespread access to member state representations by exploiting loopholes in EU transparency rules according to the first ever study on lobbying activities at national government offices in Brussels.[1] The study, ‘National representations in Brussels: open for corporate lobbyists’ by the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU), reveals how these government missions to EU institutions are a target for big business lobbyists looking to promote their agendas. Vicky Cann, Corporate Europe Observatory, said:“This report demonstrates that there is a worrying level of corporate lobbying directed at the EU's permanent representations. These

Member state offices in Brussels wide open to corporate lobbyists2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00
17 Dec 2015

The Uncounted: Lack Of Migrant Detention Data Denounced

2018-11-13T10:04:24+01:00

Madrid/Geneva, 17 November 2015 - A serious lack of information about the number of migrants and asylum seekers in detention across Europe is impeding informed public debate, report Access Info Europe and the Global Detention Project following submission of access to information requests in 33 countries. The report comes as EU heads of government meet in Brussels for their last summit of the year, with migration a key topic. This lack of publicly available information on the scale and nature of detention is of particular concern now as Europe seeks to restrict the arrival of refugees. In the report issued

The Uncounted: Lack Of Migrant Detention Data Denounced2018-11-13T10:04:24+01:00
16 Jul 2015

Proactive Publication Recommendations

2018-11-13T09:46:12+01:00

As a guide to public bodies and legislators, Access Info Europe has developed the following Recommendations on proactive publication of information, based on the existing international standards, comparative law, and best practices. Download in Word

Proactive Publication Recommendations2018-11-13T09:46:12+01:00