OPENING UP DECISION MAKING
RESEARCH SHOWS THERE IS A SERIOUS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY WHEN TRYING TO KNOW HOW DECISIONS ARE TAKEN IN EUROPE
THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND, AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
ONLY 40% OF KEY DECISION-MAKING INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
- Information available:
- 0-20%
- 21-40%
- 41-60%
- 61-80%
- 81-100%
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
Find out all about it here.
THE FINDINGS: MAIN CHALLENGES FOR TRANSPARENCY
Europe's Access to Information laws permit requests for decision-making information
What we have found
However, an analysis of these 12 European laws has told us there is no obligation to record minutes of meetings held as part of decision-making processes.
Insufficient levels of proactive publication of information is impeding participation
What we have found
European countries are not proactively publishing who public officials meet, reasons justifying their decisions, nor records created regarding policy and legislation.
Information released through FOI requests is not enough to ensure accountability
What we have found
European countries are abusing the use of certain exceptions to deny access to documents, such as the protection of privacy when it comes to government and public officials.
RECOMMENDATIONS: TOWARDS OPEN DECISION MAKING
- Transparency applies to all
- Create records
- Improve proactive publication requirements
- Reduce time taken to make information publically available
- Apply exceptions narrowly to information related to decision making
“Decision-making transparency means to be able
to know how decisions are taken, by whom and why,
to be able to participate and hold our leaders accountable.
It is essential to our democracies.”
Helen Darbishire
Executive Director, Access Info Europe
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: INTRODUCING
THE DECISION-MAKING TRANSPARENCY KIT!
CLICK ON THE IMAGES
OR SCROLL DOWN TO ACCESS
THE ALL OF THE CONTENT
DIRECTLY!
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION?
THESE ARE THE DOCUMENTS YOU CAN ASK FOR
Both at a national and at the EU level, certain documents are created during the decision-making process. These documents will give you an insight into how a decision was taken. We have created these two presentations explaining, at each phase of decision making, which documents are created, which are proactively published, and which may be requested.
AT NATIONAL/GENERAL LEVEL
AT EUROPEAN UNION LEVEL
CASE STUDIES: CAN WE KNOW HOW THE DECISION WAS TAKEN?
Aiming to contribute to an informed public debate around TTIP and its levels of transparency, we have investigated what information in regards to the negotiations is available, and what is not.
We analysed if interactions between the tobacco industry, EU institutions and national governments are conducted in compliance with transparency rules.
We looked into the legislative proposal to adopt a colour-coded food labelling system which classifies fats, sugars and salts, trying to discover the extent of the influence of lobbies.
WHEN DECISION-MAKING IS TRANSPARENT:
GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLES!
Disclosing handwritten notes containing minutes from a meeting!
They tweeted, we asked for the document… they released it!
The 100 MB of information release: emails, amendments and more!
Proactive and reactive disclosure of information at the EU level
WE ASKED EXPERTS AND OFFICIALS:
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO OPEN UP DECISION MAKING?
HELPFUL JURISPRUDENCE: LITIGATING FOR
ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You will find a series of cases from all across Europe which we hope will be useful in order to map what, where and why we can access key pieces of public information related to decision-making.