Thursday, 28 May 2009

Europe: Journalists angry over the European Parliament's views on transparency

Journalists angry over the European Parliament's views on transparency
<http://www.statewatch.org/news/2009/mar/02sweden-journalists-access-reg.htm
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- Swedish Union of Journalists

MEPs call for greater transparency - but want exceptions for themselves. The
parliament also wants to classify information which could be disadvantageous
to the interests of the European Union or of one or more of its Member
States.

"They have apparently learned nothing and understood nothing", says
Journalist Association President Agneta Lindblom Hulthén.

In a preliminary vote last week EP said no to the two central parts of the
Commission proposal on new transparency rules in the EU:

• The documents to be covered may not be defined more limited than what is
happening today.
• Proposal to erect a wall around its own management, for example on the
treatment of competition issues, must be rejected.

So far, the Parliament in line with the Journalist Association requirements,
and with clear statements from the Swedish Minister of Justice Beatrice Ask
and Minister for European Affairs Cecilia Malmström.

But at the same time it proposed in all seriousness:

• that they voted for their own accounts not to be subject to the desired
transparency, and
• that the EU institutions have more opportunities to classified documents.
It is sufficient that one "can be detrimental" to the EU or a member of it
shall not be disclosed! Selected and approved MPs would be allowed to read
the secret documents, but do not tell anyone what they have read.

The Swedish Journalists Unin is strongly critical of the Commission's
attempt to turn the clock back, and outraged by the Parliaments suggestions.

--snip--

[Translation]

Swedish Union of Journalists (link)

----
Mark Perkins MLIS, MCLIP
www.markperkins.info

https://keyserver.pgp.com/

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