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European Ombudsman urges proactive transparency of EU-US trade talks
Madrid, 31 July 2014 – Access Info Europe today welcomed the decision by the European Ombudsman to call for more proactive disclosure of documents to stakeholders surrounding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, and to open investigations into the Council of the EU and EU Commission’s lack of transparency around these talks. Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has offered a
Civil Society Highlight Need for Public Bodies in Poland to be More Transparent
Madrid, 28 July 2014 - The Polish central government and voivodships provided less access to information than local governments despite obligations under Polish law, according to research carried out to verify the practical enforcement of citizens' right to access to public information. The research, carried out by Association "Cities on the Internet" with expertise input from Access Info Europe, examined
The In ‘t Veld Ruling: Raising the Bar for Denying Access to EU Documents
Madrid, 25 July 2014 - Helen Darbishire and Pamela Bartlett of Access Info Europe analyse the wider consequences of the recent European Court of Justice ruling, which will make it harder to deny access to EU documents relating to international relations or to containing legal advice. The 3 July 2014 pro-transparency ruling by the European Court of Justice in the
Civil society call on the EU institutions to join the Open Government Partnership
Madrid, 16 July - Access Info Europe has joined over 50 other signatories, including networks and coalitions, calling upon the European Union to closely engage and eventually join the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initative. The letter sent earlier this month asks the EU to commit to uphold the same inclusion, transparency and accountability standards that they ask of others both
New Commission President Juncker Commits to Transparency on Trade Deals and to a mandatory EU lobby register
Madrid, 16 July 2014 - Access Info Europe welcomed the commitment made today by new European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to transparency of decision making, particularly with respect to lobbying and international trade negotiations, and to enacting a mandatory register of lobbyists. The commitment by Juncker at his confirmation hearing in the European Parliament included specific references to transparency during
Civil society welcomes withdrawal of upfront FOI fees in Ireland, but concerns remain over charges
Madrid/Dublin, 16 July 2014 - Access Info Europe has welcomed the Irish government's decision to withdraw upfront fees for access to information (also known as FOI) requests. The decision comes after extensive campaigning by Irish and international civil society organisations, and by not charging upfront fees would bring Ireland into line with international standards. The specialist transparency organisation expressed caution
Cover photo: International Open Data Conference via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)