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Lack of Transparency Leads to EU Expert Group Budget Freeze

2018-11-13T10:11:38+01:00

Madrid, 22 October 2014 - The European Parliament has voted to freeze the budget of the European Commission's Expert Groups for the second time in four years, due to a lack of transparency, conflict of interest issues, and unbalanced stakeholder representation within these advisory groups. A group of cross-party MEPs [1] tabled the amendment to withhold almost €4 million from the Commission budget for 2015, covering expert group expenses. It was voted through by all major groups. The conditions for its release relate to stakeholder balance, conflicts of interest and transparency. ALTER EU, of which Access Info is a steering

Lack of Transparency Leads to EU Expert Group Budget Freeze2018-11-13T10:11:38+01:00

Legal Leaks training in Skopje

2023-07-27T15:51:14+02:00

Skopje, 20 October 2014 - In the context of the South East Europe Media Forum, a regional conference organized with the support of UNESCO and the European Commission, Access Info Europe and UNESCO held its 6th Legal Leaks training seminar in the South East Europe region in collaboration with the Macedonian Institute for Media. The training took place in Skopje on 16 October 2014 and had as trainers: Helen Darbishire, executive director of Access Info Europe; Victoria Anderica, legal researcher and campaigner in Access Info Europe; and Gavin Sheridan, investigative journalist and FOI expert. The Macedonian version of the Legal

Legal Leaks training in Skopje2023-07-27T15:51:14+02:00

UN Human Rights Committee Urged to Investigate Violations of Right to Information in Spain

2023-07-27T15:52:39+02:00

Madrid, 17 October 2014 – The UN Human Rights Committee has been urged to look into violations of freedom of expression and the right to information in Spain in a letter sent by leading international media freedom organisations. This is the first time that freedom of expression organisations have raised the case of Spain before the UN Human Rights Committee. The signatories of the letter, coordinated by the International Press Institute, are Access Info Europe, AMARC Europe, Article 19, European Federation of Journalists, Free Expression Associates, Reporters Without Borders, and the World Association of Newspapers.

UN Human Rights Committee Urged to Investigate Violations of Right to Information in Spain2023-07-27T15:52:39+02:00

Entendiendo la ley de transparencia I: ¿Cuándo entra en vigor la Ley de Transparencia y para qué instituciones?

2018-11-13T10:11:40+01:00

Post originalmente publicado en El Blog de Tuderechoasaber.es Madrid, 14 de octubre de 2014 – En Tuderechoasaber.es empezamos una serie de posts en los que vamos a intentar explicar en qué consiste la Ley de Transparencia para que estemos todos preparados para usarla a partir de su entrada en vigor el 10 de diciembre de 2014. ¿Cuándo entra en vigor la ley de transparencia? La Ley 19/2013, de 9 de diciembre, de transparencia, acceso a la información pública y buen gobierno consta de tres partes. Vamos a aclarar cuándo entra en vigor cada una de ellas y para qué instituciones:

Entendiendo la ley de transparencia I: ¿Cuándo entra en vigor la Ley de Transparencia y para qué instituciones?2018-11-13T10:11:40+01:00

EU Ombudsman urged to review European Commission’s insistence on postal addresses to register requests for documents

2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Madrid, 13 October 2014 – Access Info Europe is challenging the European Commission’s policy of demanding postal addresses as a precondition for registering requests for access to EU documents as part of a complaint being considered by the European Ombudsman. Access Info Europe argues that Commission’s policy, adopted on 1 April 2014, of refusing to register requests without postal address interferes unnecessarily and disproportionately with citizens' ability to exercise their right of access to documents and is in breach of Regulation 1049/2001. The issue of addresses was raised by the Commission as part of an exchange of views regarding the

EU Ombudsman urged to review European Commission’s insistence on postal addresses to register requests for documents2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Previously Secret TTIP Negotiating Directives Published

2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Madrid, 9 October 2014 - Access Info Europe today welcomed the publication by the Council of the European Union of the negotiating directives for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), following a long battle by civil society and MEPs to obtain this key document, and the opening of an investigation by the European Ombudsman. Access Info noted that rather ironically, the newly declassified document states at Article 41 that "Nothing in this Agreement should affect EU or Member State laws regarding public access to official documents." Indeed, the directives require specific proactive transparency on any rules and measures which

Previously Secret TTIP Negotiating Directives Published2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Timmermans Hearing – Better Regulation Requires a Mandatory Lobby Register

2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Madrid, 7 October 2014 - As MEPs prepare to interview vice-president-designate Frans Timmermans, the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU), of which Access Info is a steering committee member, is calling on Mr Timmermans to make the introduction of a mandatory lobby register his priority. Timmermans has been handed the portfolio of 'better regulation' and will also act as Jean-Claude Juncker's deputy. His role will include work to coordinate transparency matters across the Commission and to bring forward the proposal for a mandatory lobby transparency register, to which Juncker committed himself in his own parliamentary hearing in July.

Timmermans Hearing – Better Regulation Requires a Mandatory Lobby Register2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Report on Transparency of Media Ownership

2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Madrid, 3 October 2014 - Citizens are unable to establish who owns or controls the media operating in their country because of none or limited media specific or general disclosure provisions, accroding to one of the key findings of a report on The Transparency of Media Ownership in the European Union and Neighbouring States. The report is based on a survey of media ownership transparency rules in 20 European Union (EU) and neighbouring states carried out by Access Info Europe and commissioned by the Open Society Media Program. The survey has been designed to inform current debates about the roles

Report on Transparency of Media Ownership2018-11-13T10:11:41+01:00

Civil society letter calls for UN SG Ban Ki-moon to recognise Right to Know in Post-15 Report

2018-11-13T10:11:42+01:00

Madrid, 30 September 2014 - On the occasion of International Right to Know Day, Access Info Europe together with 130 other organisations has written an open letter to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, calling on him to recognise freedom of expression and the right to information in his Post-2015 report. The UN secretary General and his team are drafting a report on Post-2015 which will kick off formal negotiations for the Sustainable Development Goals next year. For the past couple of years, civil society groups from all over the world have been calling on states to ensure good governance and

Civil society letter calls for UN SG Ban Ki-moon to recognise Right to Know in Post-15 Report2018-11-13T10:11:42+01:00
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