Archive
New draft Council position on access to EU documents from the Swedish Presidency – existing code undermined
A new draft of the Council (the 15 EU governments) common position on the new code of access to EU documents is being discussed at COREPER today (4 April). COREPER is comprised of the permanent Read More
Where now for accountability in the EU? (1)
The annual report for Europol is now published in two forms: a public "sanitised" version and a secret version which is only marked "Limite" (which is not a classified document). The latter version has been Read More
“Brussels stitch-up” on the cards
The Council and the European Parliament rapporteurs, Michael Cashman (PSE) and Hanja Maij-Weggen (PPE), have agreed a "common text" for the new code of access to EU documents. The "deal" was done on 4-5 April Read More
“OPEN LETTER from civil society on the new code of access to documents of the EU institutions”
"We are writing to you concerning the consideration at your meeting on 24-25 April of the report on the new code of access to documents. We consider the "common text" on the table is quite Read More
“Brussels stitch-up” agreed
At today's (26 April) meeting of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights all of the amendments put forward by Michael Cashman and Hanji Miaj-Weggen were steamrollered through, without any debate, by the PSE/PPE majority Read More
News in Brief; March – April 2001
April 2001 "Repeal the Official Secrets Act": the UK is one of the few countries in the EU which has a law which punishes "whistle-blowers" and journalists and others who receive "leaked" information on state Read More
Statewatch wins two new complaints: European Ombudsman decision breaches “space to think”
In a landmark decision the European Ombudsman has backed a complaint lodged by Statewatch and told the Council of the European Union that it has to: "maintain a list or register of all documents put Read More
Hautala vs Council on Partial Access to Documents: Council’s secrecy enthusiasm totally out of proportion
Heidi Hautala MEP, Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group in the European parliament, appeared in a European Court of Justice hearing on access to documents on Tuesday, March 13. Council had appealed against a ruling by Read More
Council Decisions: 1) gives EU member states a “veto” over access to documents 2) new Solana classification code will “contaminate” access
On Monday (19 March) the General Affairs Council of the Council of the European Union adopted (as "A" points, without debate) two more major changes to the 1993 Decision of access to EU documents - Read More
Statewatch to get award for its work on EU openness
Statewatch has been awarded the prestigious "EIA Chadwyck-Healey Award for Achievement in European Information 2000". Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, will be accepting the Award on behalf of the organisation at the annual general meeting of Read More