Saturday

9th Dec 2023

Negotiators have second go at EU transparency rules

  • AccessInfo: 'If the member states get their way it will basically become a waste of time to even file a request' (Photo: ec.europa.eu)

The Danish presidency will next week put forward a second draft of new rules on access to internal EU documents, as tensions rise.

The first draft fell by the wayside last week when EU parliament co-legislators said it goes too far on sheltering papers on legal advice to EU institutions, appointments of top officials, competition cases and infringement procedures.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

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

... or subscribe as a group

In an unsual move, the justice ministers of two pro-transparency countries, Finland and Sweden, wrote an open letter to MEPs on Thursday (31 May) urging them not to give in. The letter was publicised by Danish journalists on the wobbing.eu website.

"The [first Danish] mandate is based on a compromise text which would, no doubt, lead to less transparency. Needless to say, our countries did not support that text," Anna-­Maja Henriksson and Beatrice Ask said.

"We trust that Denmark and the EP will see to it that no such proposal is even put on the table ... Who's with us?"

For her part, Pamela Bartlett Quintanilla from the Madrid-based pro-transparency NGO, AccessInfo, told EUobserver: "If the member states get their way it will basically become a waste of time to even file a request [to see documents]."

The Danes are to circulate their new ideas to EU countries on Monday (4 June) and to seek agreement on the new mandate from the EU Council on Wednesday before fresh talks with MEPs.

Finland and Sweden, along with Estonia and Slovenia, are in a small minority against pro-secrecy member states on the Council side.

If parliament takes Henriksson and Ask's advice and the new law falls by the wayside, an old regulation from 2001 - deemed to be more transparency-friendly - will stay in force.

For its part, the incoming Cypriot EU presidency had indicated that if Denmark cannot bring the two sides together, then it will have a go.

"The Cpriot presidency is interested in continuing the talks should there be no agreement by the end of June," an Cypriot diplomatic source told this website.

Commission pushes for document secrecy despite court judgement

The EU commission and national governments are seeking to tighten rules granting access to their internal documents despite a ruling by the European Court of Justice calling on them to release legal opinions drafted by the EU Council’s legal service.

Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies

Disruption at the Polish-Ukrainian border by disaffected Polish truckers is escalating, potentially affecting delivery of military aid to Ukraine. A Polish request to reintroduce permits for Ukrainian drivers has been described as "a shot to the head" during war.

Opinion

Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence

What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.

Opinion

Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?

Six months ahead of the EU elections, knocking an 'elitist' climate agenda is looking like a vote-winner to some. Saving the Green Deal and the EU's climate ambitions starts with listening to Europeans who are struggling to make ends meet.

Latest News

  1. How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
  2. Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
  3. Sudanese fleeing violence find no haven in Egypt or EU
  4. How should EU reform the humanitarian aid system?
  5. EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
  6. EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
  7. Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
  8. Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us