26 Ene 2017

Request campaign launched for access to EU Commissioners’ travel expenses

2018-11-13T10:03:43+01:00

Madrid, 26 January 2017 - Access Info Europe today launched a public campaign to crowd source access to EU documents requests to obtain full information on the spending by EU Commissioners on travel costs. CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPAIGN! The campaign follows the discovery from a request by Access Info team member Alba Gutiérrez that Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker spent €63,126 on an air taxi to Turkey for the G20 summit. At same time, the Commission’s contracts with private air companies that provide such services was denied to another Access Info campaigner, Andreas Pavlou. After

Request campaign launched for access to EU Commissioners’ travel expenses2018-11-13T10:03:43+01:00
25 Ene 2017

MEPs urged to ensure transparency and accountability of EU fishing fleet operating internationally

2018-11-13T10:03:43+01:00

Brussels/Madrid, 25 January 2017 – Over forty civil society organisations have endorsed a joint letter initiated by Access Info Europe and Oceana to urge Members of the European Parliament to vote in favour of a proposed Regulation that will help fight illegal fishing by increasing transparency about the owners of EU flagged vessels. The Regulation on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets will set up an EU-managed public register of authorisations for vessels fishing outside EU waters, and has already been approved by the Parliament’s Fishing (PECH) and Development (DEVE) committees. A key feature of this future register is

MEPs urged to ensure transparency and accountability of EU fishing fleet operating internationally2018-11-13T10:03:43+01:00
25 Ene 2017

The three-year battle for EU Commissioners’ travel expenses, described

2020-01-29T11:27:30+01:00

The first request On 6 May 2014, Access Info requested “documents which provide detail on the amounts paid in salaries, travel costs and travel expenses, [and] other expenses to each of the EU Commissioners and to Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso for the years 2012 and 2013.” The Commission’s first answer contained the global figures for travel and representation costs of the entire Commission for 2012 and 2013. We challenged this in a confirmatory application (appeal), and on 19 August 2014 the Commission eventually disclosed the travel and representation costs per year per Commissioner. See here: https://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/commissioners_expenses_2012_and_2 Diving deeper Having

The three-year battle for EU Commissioners’ travel expenses, described2020-01-29T11:27:30+01:00
21 Dic 2016

UNESCO urged to be transparent about its transparency policy!

2018-11-13T10:03:44+01:00

Madrid, 21 December 2016 - Over 50 of the world’s leading civil society organisations, along with key experts, have called on UNESCO to share a draft access to information policy, which it is currently being discussed inside the organisation. In a letter to UNESCO Secretary General Irina Bokova, the civil society access to information groups stress “the cardinal importance of engaging in genuine consultations with external stakeholders as part of the process of developing a policy in this area,” to ensure that the final policy reflects the concerns of those it is designed to benefit. Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of

UNESCO urged to be transparent about its transparency policy!2018-11-13T10:03:44+01:00
20 Dic 2016

EU Ombudsman proposes publishing names of officials to improve transparency in public procurement processes

2021-08-11T13:20:02+02:00

Madrid, 20 December 2016 – Access Info Europe has welcomed the European Ombudsman’s recommendation that the European Commission systematically obtain consent to publish the names of public officials charged with decision-making on public procurement prior to their appointment.

EU Ombudsman proposes publishing names of officials to improve transparency in public procurement processes2021-08-11T13:20:02+02:00
13 Dic 2016

Leave no trace? How to combat off the record government

2018-11-13T10:03:57+01:00

[Article first published by Progressive Economy @ TASC] Dublin, 13 December 2016 - While historical archives are a rich part of our cultural heritage, there are many day-to-day reasons why we should care about how governments and public bodies currently make and keep records of their actions and decisions. At a very basic level, records and are vital for good administration and efficiency. Records – like minutes of meetings, briefing documents and memos – tell us what, where and when something was done and why a decision was made. Records also provide a ‘paper trail’ of evidence for accountability purposes,

Leave no trace? How to combat off the record government2018-11-13T10:03:57+01:00
10 Dic 2016

Más de 50 académicos españoles reclaman el reconocimiento del derecho de acceso a la información como un derecho fundamental

2018-11-13T10:06:30+01:00

Madrid, 10 de diciembre de 2016 - Coincidiendo con el segundo aniversario de la entrada en vigor de Ley de Transparencia, catedráticos y profesores de universidad de toda España han hecho un llamamiento a las fuerzas políticas y poderes públicos a reconocer el derecho de acceso a la información como un derecho fundamental en nuestro país, siguiendo lo establecido por la jurisprudencia internacional. Los firmantes, entre los que se encuentran juristas y politólogos de reconocido prestigio -como Manuel Villoria, José Luis Piñar, Emilio Guichot, David Ortega, Manuel Sánchez de Diego, Miguel Ángel Blanes o Elisa de La Nuez-, reconocen el

Más de 50 académicos españoles reclaman el reconocimiento del derecho de acceso a la información como un derecho fundamental2018-11-13T10:06:30+01:00
2 Dic 2016

Access Info impugna ante el Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea el secretismo de la Comisión con el asesoramiento jurídico sobre el acuerdo UE-Turquía

2018-11-13T10:06:30+01:00

Madrid, 2 de diciembre de 2016 – Access Info Europe lleva a la Comisión Europea ante el Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea (TJUE) para obtener el análisis jurídico que recibió esta institución sobre el controvertido acuerdo UE-Turquía sobre la devolución de refugiados a Turquía. El acuerdo del 18 de marzo de 2016 – oficialmente, una “declaración”, y que está teniendo un impacto directo en las vidas de miles de migrantes y demandantes de asilo que huyen de la guerra – fue muy criticado por las organizaciones de defensa de los derechos humanos por no cumplir con los estándares

Access Info impugna ante el Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea el secretismo de la Comisión con el asesoramiento jurídico sobre el acuerdo UE-Turquía2018-11-13T10:06:30+01:00
24 Nov 2016

Europe: access to information in practice, not just on paper

2018-11-13T10:03:58+01:00

[Article first published by the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso] Long established and widely recognized, the right to access to information is severely curtailed in many European countries due to deficient implementation of existing law In case you missed it, this year marks the 250th anniversary since the world’s first transparency law was adopted, in Sweden in 1766. At a quick glance, it seems we have a lot to celebrate in Europe – every country on the continent (bar Cyprus and Luxembourg which have draft laws) now has a transparency law that gives citizens the right of access to government-held information.

Europe: access to information in practice, not just on paper2018-11-13T10:03:58+01:00
24 Nov 2016

La Coalición Pro Acceso pide un mayor compromiso con el Gobierno Abierto en España

2018-11-13T10:06:31+01:00

Madrid, 24 de noviembre de 2016 - Miembros de la Coalición Pro Acceso piden al Gobierno de España un mayor compromiso con la Alianza para el Gobierno Abierto (OGP en sus siglas en inglés), empezando por informar sobre la marcha del proceso de elaboración del tercer Plan de Acción de España y garantizando la presencia del Gobierno en la próxima cumbre de la Alianza que tendrá lugar en París en diciembre de este año. Las organizaciones [1] han enviado una carta a la Vicepresidenta del Gobierno en la que expresan su inquietud por la escasa información y participación de la

La Coalición Pro Acceso pide un mayor compromiso con el Gobierno Abierto en España2018-11-13T10:06:31+01:00