transparency

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

5 Oct 2017

Transparency is core feature of new Council of Europe Guidelines on participation

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:07+01:00

Madrid, 5 October 2017 – Access Info Europe has welcomed the inclusion of core access to information principles in the Council of Europe’s Guidelines on public participation in decision making. The Guidelines, published last week on the eve of Right to Know Day (27 September 2017), include two of the pro-transparency organisation’s recommendations submitted during the 2016 public consultation: the need for timely provision of information and the narrow application of possible exceptions to access. “With the adoption of these guidelines, members of the Council of Europe must push to bridge the gap between citizens and decision makers, by enabling

Transparency is core feature of new Council of Europe Guidelines on participationHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:07+01:00

10 Mar 2017

The risks of transparency in times of rising populism

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

[Article first published by the UNCAC Coalition Blog] Helen Darbishire, Executive Director Madrid, 10 March 2017 - It’s not often that your own colleagues working on democracy issues actually question the wisdom of pressing for greater transparency, but this has happened to me a few times lately. Most recently, I’ve been asked about the wisdom of pursuing Access Info’s high profile campaign to get the European Commission to publish the travel expenses of EU Commissioners. The fear seems to be that this very peculiar time in European history – with sensitive elections in France and the Netherlands, with

The risks of transparency in times of rising populismHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:40+01:00

21 Dec 2016

UNESCO urged to be transparent about its transparency policy!

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:44+01:00

Madrid, 21 December 2016 - Over 50 of the world’s leading civil society organisations, along with key experts, have called on UNESCO to share a draft access to information policy, which it is currently being discussed inside the organisation. In a letter to UNESCO Secretary General Irina Bokova, the civil society access to information groups stress “the cardinal importance of engaging in genuine consultations with external stakeholders as part of the process of developing a policy in this area,” to ensure that the final policy reflects the concerns of those it is designed to benefit. Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of

UNESCO urged to be transparent about its transparency policy!Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:44+01:00

7 Oct 2016

Global Civil Society Critiques Lack of Transparency in Spain

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:59+01:00

Madrid, 7 October 2016 – Access Info Europe, Civio, and a total of 22 civil society organisations[1] meeting in Madrid at the International Open Data Conference, have sent a letter to the Spanish government expressing serious concerns about levels of transparency in Spain. Welcoming the hosting of the IODC by the Spanish government and some recent advances, the organisations noted that there is a critical need to improve open data and open government. “We are in a country where the government, surreal as it sounds, is litigating against the Transparency Council to resist publishing documents related to the Open Government

Global Civil Society Critiques Lack of Transparency in SpainHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:03:59+01:00

12 Nov 2014

#Luxleaks Scandal Highlights Urgent Need for Corporate Transparency

Helen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:35+01:00

Comment by Pam Bartlett Quintanilla, Campaigner at Access Info Europe Madrid, 12 November 2014 - Top on the agenda of the European Parliament today is the #luxleaks scandal, uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists through the leaking of hundreds of secret tax agreements signed between Luxembourg and large multinational companies, when Jean-Claude Juncker, the new President of the European Commission, was Finance Minister and then Prime Minister of Luxembourg. Luxembourg is well-known for its culture of banking secrecy and for its past refusals to cooperate fully with tax transparency initiatives launched by the EU and other inter-governmental fora

#Luxleaks Scandal Highlights Urgent Need for Corporate TransparencyHelen Darbishire2018-11-13T10:11:35+01:00