Freedom Not Fear Madrid, 11 September 2010 – Access Info Europe participated in the European Action “Freedom Not Fear” with a street action to raise people’s awareness of increased surveillance and data retention. The action will also inform the public that Spain is one of the most secretive countries in Europe with a state secrets law approved in 1968 by General Franco which has never been repealed and no access to information law.
Últimas noticias: Los Dos de Tokio reciben sentencia suspendida de un año El tribunal Japonés de Aomori ha declarado culpable de allanamiento y robo a Los Dos de Tokio y les ha condenado a un año de cárcel en una sentencia suspendida durante tres años. Greenpeace ha declarado que recurrirá la sentencia. El gobierno japonés debe absolver a los ambientalistas a los que negó información Madrid, 3 de septiembre de 2010- Hoy Access Info Europe critica al gobierno japonés por usar la censura en respuesta a las solicitudes de acceso a la información, e hace un llamamiento por la absolución
To celebrate International Right to Know Day on 28 September, Access Info Europe and the Coalición Pro Acceso are holding a public seminar on the right of access to information at the Complutense University in Madrid. Government transparency is a burning issue in Spain, which is the last country in Europe with a population of more than one million not to have an access to information law. On 16tAugust this year, the daily newspaper El País reported leaked information that the draft “Law on Transparency and Citizen Access to Public Information” will soon be passed to the parliament. The urgent
Madrid, 25th August 2010 — Access Info today wrote to the Spanish government asking for information about the draft “Law on Transparency and Citizen Access to Public Information”. On Monday 16th of August the press carried news that the law would soon be approved by the Council of Ministers; nothing has been heard since about the progress of the draft law. Meeting agendas of the Council of Ministers are secret in Spain until after the meeting has taken place. Access Info provided the government with comparative examples of other countries in which Cabinet meeting agendas are made public and asked
Transparency Law begins Legislative Process Behind Closed Doors Madrid, 16 August 2010 – Spanish Daily El País today announced that this Friday (20 August 2010) the Spanish Council of Ministers will consider for approval the draft “Transparency and Access of Citizens to Information Law”, thereby initiating the legislative process with leaked information. Access Info Europe condemns the leaking of the draft law to the media rather than a formal public release of the text, and has renewed its call for full debate and structured public consultation around the draft law. “To date, the only information that we have about this
Access to Information in Spain: Analysis and Guides Access Info presents four key documents which review the current Spanish legal system for access to information. As well as detailed analysis Access Info presents a guide to accessing information in Spain. In Spain there does not exist adequate regulation to recognise the right to access information. After in depth analysis it is clear that the only regulation dedicated to access to information is insufficient and does not uphold the basic principles and guarantees for access to information established at the international level.
Sarajevo, 1 June 2010: Faced with a chronic lack of transparency in the region, leading anti-corruption organisations today called for urgent reform of the access to information laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro. The call by Transparency International BiH, Transparency International Croatia, MANS and Access Info Europe, follows consultations with citizens, journalists and NGOs who confirmed that public authorities frequently do not respect the right to information, particularly in those cases where access to information would reveal corruption. According to the recommendations presented today, proper application of exceptions and implementation of sanctions is essential to reduce secrecy and
Publishing information on GM Crops is not dangerous but responsible Madrid, 19 May 2010: Access Info today rejected accusations by the agricultural association Anove that the publication by Friends of the Earth (Spain) of the location of research fields for genetically modified (GM) crops was “irresponsible”, “dangerous” and could “incite violence”.1 The members of Anove include Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta.2 Access Info Europe declared its support for the right of Friends of the Earth to use and disseminate information received legally from the government following an information request presented using Spain’s law on access to environmental information.3 This right is
3 Mayo 2010, Nicosia/Madrid: Los miembros fundadores de la Coalición Chipre Abierto recuerdan qu, según las UNESCO, el ejercicio de la libertad de prensa requiere del derecho a saber y por ello renuevan su llamado para un reconocimento en la ley y en la práctica del derecho de acceso a la información en Chipre. Lea aquí el artículo de prensa publicado por Helen Darbishire, Ilke Dagli y David Pardo en el Cyprus Mail: La Libertad de Prensa y el Derecho a Saber. Nota de prensa del Proyecto Chipre Abierto en el Día Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa - English
Spanish government urged to publish draft access to information law Madrid, 3 May 2010 – On World Press Freedom Day Spain’s Coalición Pro Acceso has written to the government calling on it to publish the draft of the future access to information law. The 30-member coalition is calling on the government to publish the draft before it is sent to parliament, so that civil society can provide comments and suggestions. The Coalición Pro Acceso argues that a public debate will benefit the future law. “Publishing the draft law would be a gesture of transparency in line with the openness that