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8 Feb 2018

Secrecy over international relations trumps transparency of EU-Turkey deal

2019-11-07T10:28:33+01:00

Madrid, 8 February 2018 - The General Court of the European Union has ruled that the public does not have the right to access the European Commission’s legal advice on the March 2016 EU-Turkey agreement on returning migrants and asylum seekers from Greece to Turkey. The Commission had applied a series of exceptions to documents requested by Access Info Europe, documents that the court process revealed included late night emails between high level public officials discussing legal and political aspects of the controversial deal. The judgments shed further light on the scope and application by the EU Commission of the

Secrecy over international relations trumps transparency of EU-Turkey deal2019-11-07T10:28:33+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 Ene 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
20 Dic 2017

European Ombudsman Decision: Commission should stop requiring requesters to provide postal addresses

2018-11-13T09:38:35+01:00

Madrid, 20 December 2017 – In response to a complaint by Access Info Europe, the European Ombudsman has concluded that the European Commission’s practice of verifying the identity of persons making requests for access to documents by asking for their postal addresses is “disrespectful of citizens and their fundamental rights under the EU Charter” and constitutes "maladministration". The Ombudsman's formal Decision dismisses the Commission's arguments that its April 2014 postal addresses policy is necessary to prevent “abuse of the right to public access” as well as to ensure “legal certainty” in delivering answers, arguments that the Ombudsman says she "considers

European Ombudsman Decision: Commission should stop requiring requesters to provide postal addresses2018-11-13T09:38:35+01:00
11 Dic 2017

Las Actas del Consejo de Ministros publicadas por primera vez en España

2018-11-13T10:06:28+01:00

Madrid, 11 de diciembre de 2017 – Tras varios meses de investigación y solicitudes de acceso a la información, Access Info Europe, en colaboración con el periodista Jesús Escudero, publica la práctica totalidad de las Actas del Consejo de Ministros entre 1996 y 2017; una información de gran relevancia para saber cómo se toman las decisiones y que facilita la rendición de cuentas. Coincidiendo con el tercer aniversario de la entrada en vigor de la Ley de transparencia, por primera vez en España, cualquier persona puede conocer los asuntos tratados y los acuerdos alcanzados en el órgano colegiado del Gobierno

Las Actas del Consejo de Ministros publicadas por primera vez en España2018-11-13T10:06:28+01:00
30 Nov 2017

Disclosed documents reveal that EU training of Libyan Coast Guard makes negligible reference to human rights protection

2018-11-13T10:03:06+01:00

Madrid, 30 November 2017 – Respect and protection of human rights are a negligible part of the EU’s training to the Libyan Coast Guard, as revealed by the training materials the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) disclosed in response to an access to documents request. From a total of 20 documents – including a video – released, only 0,5% of the content is dedicated to ensuring the protection of human rights. Instead, the presentations and handouts mainly address possible indications of human trafficking, interrogation, and documentation techniques, as well as the handling of weather apps. This comes in

Disclosed documents reveal that EU training of Libyan Coast Guard makes negligible reference to human rights protection2018-11-13T10:03:06+01:00
20 Nov 2017

Secrecy surrounding selection of EU Judges challenged in complaint to European Ombudsman

2018-11-13T10:03:06+01:00

Madrid/Brussels, 20 November 2017 - Access Info Europe, represented by the EU Public Interest Clinic and The Good Lobby, has submitted a new complaint to the European Ombudsman about the refusal of the Council of the EU to disclose the opinions on the candidates’ suitability to become members of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). For each judicial appointment to the CJEU, a special panel – comprising seven former members of the CJEU, members of national supreme courts and lawyers of recognised competence, one of whom is proposed by the European Parliament – issues an opinion regarding

Secrecy surrounding selection of EU Judges challenged in complaint to European Ombudsman2018-11-13T10:03:06+01:00
19 Nov 2017

Gracias por todo, Esther

2018-11-13T10:06:28+01:00

Madrid, 19 de noviembre de 2017 - En Civio, Transparencia Internacional España y Access Info estamos, hoy, muy tristes. Esther Arizmendi, presidenta del Consejo de Transparencia y Buen Gobierno (CTBG), ha fallecido, y no podemos más que agradecer todo el esfuerzo que ha hecho para que la transparencia no se quedara en el título de una ley y fuera real, contra viento y marea. Queremos trasladar a sus familiares y amigos, así como a sus compañeros en el CTBG, nuestro profundo pesar y un abrazo enorme. Cuando se creó el CTBG tuvimos muchas dudas. Queríamos un organismo más independiente, con

Gracias por todo, Esther2018-11-13T10:06:28+01:00
8 Nov 2017

General Court of the European Union hears arguments for transparency of EU-Turkey Deal

2018-11-13T10:03:06+01:00

Luxembourg, 8 November 2017 – Access Info Europe had a hearing today in the General Court of the European Union in the case for access to documents it brought against the Commission, seeking access to certain documents containing legal analysis and advice relating to the EU-Turkey refugee return deal. This case started at the very same time as the EU-Turkey deal was reached (EU summit 17-18 March 2016) in the face of concerns raised by key human rights bodies such as the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner and the UNHCR about the deal’s content. "Our goal was to get

General Court of the European Union hears arguments for transparency of EU-Turkey Deal2018-11-13T10:03:06+01:00
6 Nov 2017

Access Info, Transparencia Internacional y Civio piden al Consejo de Transparencia ejemplaridad y transparencia en la contratación de abogados externos

2018-11-13T10:06:28+01:00

Madrid, 6 de noviembre de 2017 - Desde el primer conflicto en los tribunales ante el Gobierno, a finales de 2015, el Consejo de Transparencia y Buen Gobierno (CTBG) se ha encontrado con una coyuntura no prevista: su representación legal estaba encomendada a la Abogacía del Estado, pero también la de sus oponentes: los ministerios. Con el conflicto de interés servido, el Gobierno decidió optar por que los abogados del estado representaran a los ministerios y el CTBG tuvo que buscar su propia representación legal. La primera vez que ocurrió algo así, en el proceso contra RTVE, y según el

Access Info, Transparencia Internacional y Civio piden al Consejo de Transparencia ejemplaridad y transparencia en la contratación de abogados externos2018-11-13T10:06:28+01:00
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