Tuesday

19th Mar 2024

EU sued over lack of transparency

  • The EU says it upholds its high levels of transparency but others are less sure (Photo: ec.europa.eu)

A group of environmental lawyers are suing the EU over alleged attempts to restrict access to information and a lack of transparency in the bloc's biofuels policy.

On Monday (20 September) ClientEarth filed a lawsuit against the European Commission in the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, charging the executive body with having failed to release "documents containing previously undisclosed information on the negative climate impacts of widespread biofuels use."

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The case, taken jointly with Transport and Environment, the European Environmental Bureau and BirdLife International, focuses on a controversial study of biofuel use which the four groups claim was manipulated by the commission.

In April the International Food Policy Research Group (IFPRI) published the study which suggested that EU biofuel policy would reduce carbon emissions. But it later was claimed that the research was based on flawed assumptions, inserted at the request of the commission's energy department.

Climate Earth said it decided to take the case on Monday after repeated calls to see emails relating to the changes were ignored.

"The commission is running an opaque operation," said Tim Grabiel, a lawyer at ClientEarth. "Citizens are being denied the right to participate in decisions that affect flagship climate policies and will not only affect their lives but those of future generations as well."

In March the four environmental groups took a similar case against the commission for failing to release certain documents, with the bloc's biofuels policy coming under increased scrutiny in recent years.

The EU requires at least 10 percent of energy for road and rail transport in 2020 to come from renewable sources, with biofuels originally being hailed as a key strategy to reduce the use of fossil fuels, largely blamed for climate change.

A growing number of question marks have been raised, however. A recent World Bank report said that EU and US biofuels policies have resulted in a rush for land in Africa and other developing regions, taking over areas that had previously been used for food production.

Other studies note that the desire to grow fuel crops has contributed to deforestation.

"Second generation biofuels" using waste straw and forestry offcuts are seen as a solution to these problems and are said to be nearing commercialisation, but it may still be several years before they are rolled out across the globe.

Wider lack of EU transparency

In a separate case on Monday, ClientEarth also decided to sue the Council of Ministers (the EU institution representing member states) over an alleged failure to release documents.

The issue relates to EU plans to review its 'access-to-documents' law which dates back to 2002. The commission put forward plans to review the law in 2008 which ClientEarth says will restrict citizens' access to certain EU documents.

The case against the council relates to its refusal to hand over an internal legal opinion on the review.

Anais Berthier, environmental justice lawyer at ClientEarth, said: "The fact that we have to sue for lack of transparency during its review of EU transparency rules speaks volumes about the EU's commitment to an open society."

"If the commission's proposals are allowed to progress unchallenged the ramifications for freedom of information will be far-reaching."

EU lobby register blasted as wildly inaccurate

The European Commission has attracted fresh criticism over its fledgling EU lobby register, with new analysis suggesting that data for five out of the top 15 entries is likely to be inaccurate.

EU supply chain law fails, with 14 states failing to back it

Member states failed on Wednesday to agree to the EU's long-awaited Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive, after 13 EU ambassadors declared abstention and one, Sweden, expressed opposition (there was no formal vote), EUobserver has learned.

Latest News

  1. Borrell: 'Israel provoking famine', urges more aid access
  2. Europol: Israel-Gaza galvanising Jihadist recruitment in Europe
  3. EU to agree Israeli-settler blacklist, Borrell says
  4. EU ministers keen to use Russian profits for Ukraine ammo
  5. Call to change EIB defence spending rules hits scepticism
  6. Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers
  7. EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK
  8. The present and future dystopia of political micro-targeting ads

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us