Transparency Council

13 Jun 2017

Spain’s Transparency Lottery

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:19+01:00

[Article first published on eldiario.es (in Spanish)] Helen Darbishire, Executive Director Madrid, 13 June 2017 - If the person reading this article had to place a bet, which information would you say it’s easier to access: the salaries of advisers to the ministers or the documents that guide Spanish Cabinet discussions at its traditionally secretive weekly Friday meetings? What’s certain is that talking about transparency in Spain is like buying a lottery ticket: the lack of a government transparency policy makes obtaining information feel more playing roulette than exercising a fundamental right. In fact, Access Info managed to

Spain’s Transparency LotteryHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:19+01:00

14 Nov 2016

Spanish Transparency Council confirms that Agendas of Cabinet meetings of the Government is public information

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:58+01:00

Madrid, 14 November 2016 – Access Info today welcomed the recent ruling by the Spanish Transparency Council that agendas of Cabinet meetings constitute information that should be available for public scrutiny in accordance with the obligations set out in Spain’s Transparency Law. The Council’s important Decision rejected the arguments of the Ministry of the Presidency, concluding that publication of the red and green index[1] in the agendas is not “internal information” and does not harm “the confidentiality of the discussions” of the Spanish Cabinet. “This very important decision gives the public the chance to know what topics will be discussed

Spanish Transparency Council confirms that Agendas of Cabinet meetings of the Government is public informationHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:58+01:00

19 May 2016

Spain’s extortionate Sunshine Tax is “a final solution for renewable energy”: What do the documents tell us?

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

Madrid, 19 May 2016 - On the day that the news is full of the fact that Portugal this month had four straight days of zero emissions energy production using renewable sources (full story here), documents obtained by Access Info Europe using Spain’s Transparency Law reveal the tense political battles behind a controversial 2015 law that imposes prohibitive taxes on use of home-produced energy (such as from solar power). Spain – a country replete with sunshine, wind and waves – could be breaking the same records as Portugal, but instead the renewables sector has been undermined and citizens who generate

Spain’s extortionate Sunshine Tax is “a final solution for renewable energy”: What do the documents tell us?Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:11+01:00

12 May 2016

Spain: NGOs go to court to obtain documents about lobbying on a controversial energy law

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

Madrid 12 May 2016 – Two Spanish NGOs are challenging in court a decision by the Transparency Council granting only partial access to lobby documents submitted during elaboration of a controversial 2015 Law that imposes prohibitive taxes on use of home-produced energy (such as from solar power). Access Info Europe and the Platform for a New Energy Model in December 2015 had requested all documents submitted by third parties to the Ministry of Industry; the Ministry denied access on the grounds that the documents are “internal”, invoking one of the most problematic provisions of Spain’s 2013 Transparency Law. The Transparency

Spain: NGOs go to court to obtain documents about lobbying on a controversial energy lawHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:10:41+01:00

9 Feb 2016

Spain: Government goes to court to keep secret documents about … open government!

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

Madrid, 9 February 2016 - The Spanish government has launched a court case against Spain’s Transparency Council to challenge a decision that it should release documents relating to the implementation of Spain’s two Open Government Partnership action plans. In November 2015, Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe, secured a ruling from the Transparency Council that the Ministry of the Presidency should make public reports from Ministries about progress being made on Open Government Partnership commitments. In its ruling, the Transparency Council argued that documents about Spain’s open government activities cannot be exempted as being “internal” because they are

Spain: Government goes to court to keep secret documents about … open government!Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:13+01:00

27 Nov 2015

Documents used in decision making are not “internal” rules Spain’s Transparency Council

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00

Madrid, 27 November 2015 – In another important decision from Spain’s Transparency Council, Access Info Europe has been granted access to Spanish government progress reports on Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitments. The Transparency Council’s decision rejects arguments by the Ministry of the Presidency that these documents, which were used as part of the decision-making process, are “internal documents.” In August 2015, Access Info’s director Helen Darbishire asked for copies of OGP-related documents in order to get an insight into what the government is doing in implementing the action plan. This request was necessary because, unlike in other OGP countries, there

Documents used in decision making are not “internal” rules Spain’s Transparency CouncilHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:04:36+01:00