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17 Oct 2017

Review process tackling MEPs allowances avoids public scrutiny

2018-11-13T10:03:07+01:00

Madrid, 17 October 2017 - Access Info Europe has criticised the European Parliament’s refusal to disclose information in full relating to the revision of Member of the European Parliament’s General Expenditure Allowance (GEA), following an access to EU documents request. The Parliament Bureau’s ‘Ad hoc Working Group on the GEA’ denied access to a note containing the background, advice, and proposals for the rules, and a list of questions to be discussed, fearing that disclosure of the information would make it unable to reach a decision on the review of MEP allowances. “The refusal to recognise the overriding public interest

Review process tackling MEPs allowances avoids public scrutiny2018-11-13T10:03:07+01:00
22 Mar 2017

European Parliament Committee supports increase in decision-making transparency

2018-11-13T10:03:21+01:00

Madrid, 22 March 2017 – Access Info Europe has cautiously welcomed this week’s adoption of the report on ‘Transparency, accountability and integrity in the EU institutions’ by the European Parliament Constitutional Affairs Committee. The report by Sven Giegold MEP takes important steps to improve record keeping and decision-making transparency by calling for the Council to publish the position of member states in minutes of working group meetings, as well as ensure documents created during trilogues (informal talks on legislation between the three main EU institutions) are made directly available online by the Parliament. “MEPs must now build upon the steps

European Parliament Committee supports increase in decision-making transparency2018-11-13T10:03:21+01:00
2 Feb 2017

European Parliament votes in favour of beneficial ownership transparency for fishing vessels

2018-11-13T10:03:42+01:00

Madrid, 2 February 2017 - Access Info Europe welcomed today’s European Parliament plenary vote overwhelmingly in favour of a regulation that will introduce beneficial ownership transparency for EU fishing vessels. MEPs voted 586 in favour, with 56 against and just 6 abstentions, to create a public register of the EU flagged fishing fleet, something that will contribute to the fight against illegal and unsustainable fishing, as well as limiting opportunities for money laundering and tax evasion by vessel owners. “The Parliament’s position represents an opportunity for the EU to make its fisheries policy a leading example of how beneficial ownership

European Parliament votes in favour of beneficial ownership transparency for fishing vessels2018-11-13T10:03:42+01:00
25 Jan 2017

MEPs urged to ensure transparency and accountability of EU fishing fleet operating internationally

2018-11-13T10:03:43+01:00

Brussels/Madrid, 25 January 2017 – Over forty civil society organisations have endorsed a joint letter initiated by Access Info Europe and Oceana to urge Members of the European Parliament to vote in favour of a proposed Regulation that will help fight illegal fishing by increasing transparency about the owners of EU flagged vessels. The Regulation on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets will set up an EU-managed public register of authorisations for vessels fishing outside EU waters, and has already been approved by the Parliament’s Fishing (PECH) and Development (DEVE) committees. A key feature of this future register is

MEPs urged to ensure transparency and accountability of EU fishing fleet operating internationally2018-11-13T10:03:43+01:00
17 Mar 2016

MEPs urged to take stand to defend future of EU Transparency

2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00

Madrid, 17 March 2016 – As the European Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO) gears up for a crucial debate on recommendations on the future of EU integrity, transparency, and accountability, Access Info Europe has called on MEPs to support proposals in favour of strengthening EU transparency mechanisms, including by giving the Ombudsman powers to review classified documents and inspect the premises of public bodies. At the same time, Access Info cautioned that some of the amendments put forward by MEPs in the AFCO Committee, such retaining a limited definition of access to documents (rather than all information), are out of

MEPs urged to take stand to defend future of EU Transparency2018-11-13T10:04:12+01:00
20 Nov 2015

Journalists take European Parliament to Court over access to MEPs’ expenses

2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00

Madrid, 20 November 2015 - The refusal by the European Parliament to make public details on spending of MEPs expenses allowances on grounds of personal data protection has been challenged before the European Court of Justice by a network of journalists from each of the 28 Member States. This initiative was started by Slovenian journalist Anuška Delić who discovered that she could get information about the expenses of members of the Slovenian parliament but not about Slovenian MEPs in Brussels. Welcoming the legal challenge, Access Info argued that the European Parliament should be setting a standard for levels of transparency

Journalists take European Parliament to Court over access to MEPs’ expenses2018-11-13T10:04:37+01:00
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