Europe: Ombudsman welcomes European Parliament's suggestions to improve public access to EU documents

Ombudsman welcomes European Parliament's suggestions to improve public
access to EU documents
<http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/press/release.faces/en/3838/html.bookmark>
Press release no. 6/2009. 11 March 2009

The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has welcomed today's vote
in the European Parliament (EP) on the Cashman Report which aims to ensure
wider public access to EU documents. The report is the EP's response to the
European Commission's proposals to change the current rules. The Ombudsman
has repeatedly expressed concerns that the Commission's proposals would mean
access to fewer, not more, documents.

Speaking after the vote, Mr Diamandouros said: "I am very pleased that the
European Parliament has, in effect, asked the Commission to rethink and
modify its proposals. I very much hope that the Commission will agree to do
so."

The Ombudsman welcomes the following key points of the Cashman Report:

* the broad definition of a document, including "any data or content
whatever its medium", as well as information contained in databases
* the possibility for the Ombudsman to advise on the existence of a
public interest in disclosure of a document, before a final decision is
taken
* the improvement and expansion of the institutions' public registers of
documents
* the appointment of information officers in the institutions, who will
be responsible for the correct application of the access to documents rules
* the principle that Member States should grant to their citizens at
national level at least the same level of transparency concerning EU
documents as is available at the EU level
* the elimination of Member States' right to veto the disclosure of
documents about how they implement Community law.

The Ombudsman expressed his hope that the Cashman Report would serve as a
basis for a common position acceptable to all institutions and benefiting
all European citizens to be reached under the Swedish EU presidency in the
second half of 2009.

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Mark Perkins MLIS, MCLIP
www.markperkins.info

https://keyserver.pgp.com/