Council of the European Union

13 Feb 2018

Greater transparency of Council legislative process, fundamental for representative democracy, says European Ombudsman

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:04+01:00

Madrid, 13 February 2018 – Access Info today welcomed the European Ombudsman recommendation that the Council of the European Union increase transparency of its legislative process in order to guarantee citizens’ right to hold their elected representatives to account and to participate in the democratic life of the EU. Two main findings of the Ombudsman’s inquiry into transparency of the Council, to which Access Info submitted a series of proposals in December 2017, are that the Council’s systematic failure to record the names of Member States along with their positions on legislative matters constitutes maladministration, and that there is over-classification

Greater transparency of Council legislative process, fundamental for representative democracy, says European OmbudsmanHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:04+01:00

3 Jan 2018

Access Info calls for greater transparency of Council of the EU in submission to European Ombudsman

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00

Madrid, 3 January 2018 – Access Info has recommended that the Council of the European Union significantly increase transparency of the legislative process, in particular by providing the public with details on the positions that EU Member States take in negotiations on legislation. These recommendations were submitted to the European Ombudsman’s consultation held as part of her enquiry into transparency of the Council, which is based in large part on the case of Council v. Access Info Europe, won by Access Info on 17 October 2013, in which the Court of Justice of the EU established the right of the

Access Info calls for greater transparency of Council of the EU in submission to European OmbudsmanHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:05+01:00

14 Mar 2017

Enquiry about legislative transparency in the Council welcomed by Access Info

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:40+01:00

Madrid, 14 March 2017 – Access Info Europe today expressed concern over insufficient record keeping in the Council of the EU and welcomed the launch of the European Ombudsman’s strategic enquiry into transparency of one of the EU’s key decision making institutions. A focus of the Ombudsman’s enquiry is whether the Council is complying with a 2013 judgment of the European Court of Justice,[1] a case won by Access Info Europe in which the Court ruled that the public should have access to the positions of Member States in order to permit participation in legislative processes. “Ongoing holes in Council

Enquiry about legislative transparency in the Council welcomed by Access InfoHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:40+01:00

11 May 2016

EU Ombudsman: Public figures should expect a high degree of transparency about their professional competence

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:41+01:00

Madrid/Brussels, 10 May 2016 – In an important Decision from the European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly has said that data relating to the professional competence and activities of public figures, especially those appointed to a high level public posts, may not require the same level of protection as might apply to personal data in other circumstances. Access Info Europe and the HEC-NYU EU Public Interest Clinic welcomed the Ombudsman’s Decision on their complaint about the lack of transparency in the selection process for judges to the European Union Court of Justice (ECJ). “The public has a right to know if the

EU Ombudsman: Public figures should expect a high degree of transparency about their professional competenceHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:41+01:00