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Sun Mar 31 09:34:23 UTC 2013

law to judicial investigations into the ruling People=E2=80=99s Party to a =
scandal involving the Socialist Party and major trade unions over unemploym=
ent benefits fraud, citizens are losing patience and much of the media=E2=
=80=99s attention is focused on the country=E2=80=99s institutions.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px"><a href=3D"http://www.avaaz.org/es/spain_transparencia_v=
s_corrupcion/?cl=3D1699191603&amp;v=3D13479" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191=
);text-decoration:initial"><img class=3D"" alt=3D"Civio Foundation petition=
" src=3D"http://sunlightfoundation.com/media/2013/06/Civio-Foundation-petit=
ion.png" width=3D"381" height=3D"323" style=3D"height: auto; border: 2px so=
lid rgb(227, 223, 223); vertical-align: middle; float: left; margin-right: =
20px; padding: 1px; margin-bottom: 20px;"></a>In response to these scandals=
, the word =E2=80=9Ctransparency=E2=80=9D is suddenly heard in every corner=
, in every demonstration, in every TV debate. Many more Spaniards are now a=
ware of what some civic organizations have been denouncing for years: Spain=
 is the only country in Europe with more than one million inhabitants who d=
o not have access to information legislation.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px">The=C2=A0<a href=3D"http://www.congreso.es/public_oficia=
les/L10/CONG/BOCG/A/BOCG-10-A-19-1.PDF" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);tex=
t-decoration:initial">Spanish Congress</a>=C2=A0is currently<a href=3D"http=
://www.access-info.org/en/spain/380-spain-update" style=3D"color:rgb(120,18=
8,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0debating a draft law</a>=C2=A0that fa=
ils the test when subjected to most basic international standards. Access t=
o information is still not a fundamental right in line with the ruling of i=
nternational courts of human rights. Currently, the law only applies to adm=
inistrative information =E2=80=93 not to the judicial and legislative branc=
hes of the state. The definition of =E2=80=9Cadministrative information=E2=
=80=9D excludes drafts, notes, internal reports or communications between a=
dministrative bodies. And the monitoring and appeals body is not independen=
t because it is part of the Ministry of Public Administrations.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px"><strong>What kind information is missing in Spain?</stro=
ng></p><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-heig=
ht:1.8em;max-width:700px">
Currently, in Spain it is impossible to:</p><ul style=3D"padding:0px;margin=
:0px 0px 25px 40px;list-style-position:initial"><li style=3D"line-height:1.=
5em;margin-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc">Find out what corporations, in=
stitutions or individuals fund different political parties.</li>
<li style=3D"line-height:1.5em;margin-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc">Fin=
d out simple metrics about public procurement, such as aggregate market sha=
res of the different civil engineering groups operating under different gov=
ernments.</li>
<li style=3D"line-height:1.5em;margin-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc">Scr=
utinize lobbying activities and the pressure exerted by private interest gr=
oups in governmental legislation.</li><li style=3D"line-height:1.5em;margin=
-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc">
Monitor and evaluate accurately the results of specific laws or political r=
eforms in critical areas such as healthcare, education or justice.</li></ul=
><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8=
em;max-width:700px">
The Spanish public bodies keep this information locked away from its citize=
ns.</p><p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-heig=
ht:1.8em;max-width:700px">Nowadays, the Spanish electoral and representativ=
e systems do not favor voter-candidate accountability. Information and open=
 data scarcity have facilitated large-scale corruption, public procurement =
is abstruse and citizens are left in the dark about who gives contributions=
 to political parties and official=E2=80=99s agendas. A critical watchdog i=
nstitution such as the Spanish Court of Accounts or=C2=A0<a href=3D"http://=
www.tcu.es/" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">Tribu=
nal de Cuentas</a>=C2=A0lacks resources to audit parties in due time, and t=
heir recommendations are systematically ignored.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px"><strong>So what is moving in Spain?</strong></p><p dir=
=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8em;max-=
width:700px">
Despite this, there is a short-to-medium-term approach which could prompt a=
 moderate degree of optimism. Civil society organizations that push for tra=
nsparency and data openness in Spain, such as<a href=3D"http://www.access-i=
nfo.org/en" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0=
Access Info Europe</a>and<a href=3D"http://www.civio.es/" style=3D"color:rg=
b(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0Civio Foundation</a>, have em=
erged and are now having a measurable impact. Working together and combinin=
g skills =E2=80=93 legal expertise and advocacy on one hand, web developmen=
t and data journalism on the other =E2=80=93 our current joint efforts incl=
ude:</p>
<ul style=3D"padding:0px;margin:0px 0px 25px 40px;list-style-position:initi=
al"><li style=3D"line-height:1.5em;margin-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc"=
>Managing<a href=3D"http://www.tuderechoasaber.ces/" style=3D"color:rgb(120=
,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0Tuderechoasaber.es</a>=C2=A0(=E2=
=80=98your right to know=E2=80=99), a FOI portal built on top of mySociety=
=E2=80=99s Alaveteli. Unlike in other countries, we built the site before t=
he transparency law was passed, with an educational goal in mind: we want t=
o explain to citizens how to address information requests and encourage the=
m to monitor the legislative process involving the law. Our<a href=3D"http:=
//blog.tuderechoasaber.es/informe/" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-de=
coration:initial">=C2=A02012 monitoring report</a>=C2=A0shows that Spanish =
institutions have ignored 54% of the requests sent through the platform so =
far.</li>
<li style=3D"line-height:1.5em;margin-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc">Hig=
hlighting political and institutional issues that are often badly or superf=
icially explained by media. Civio=E2=80=99s site<a href=3D"http://elindulto=
metro.es/index.html" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initia=
l">=C2=A0El Indult=C3=B3metro</a>=C2=A0illustrates the opaque process of pr=
esidential pardons (600 pardons a year on average, including high-profile c=
ases involving businessmen, bankers, politicians and policemen). And<a href=
=3D"http://www.espanaenllamas.es/" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-dec=
oration:initial">Espa=C3=B1a en llamas</a>=C2=A0(Spain on fire) allows user=
s to search, analyze, and compare wildfires regarding their magnitude, loca=
tion, causes, and consequences -- using previously unavailable data release=
d through requests for information.</li>
<li style=3D"line-height:1.5em;margin-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc">Tra=
cking the money. After parsing the national budget (released in thousands o=
f confusing HTML files) and visualizing it with<a href=3D"http://www.dondev=
anmisimpuestos.es/" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial=
">=C2=A0=C2=BFD=C3=B3nde van mis impuestos?</a>, Civio pushes for the relea=
se of regional budgets in open formats. So far two regions,<a href=3D"http:=
//aurrekontuak.irekia.euskadi.net/?locale=3Den" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,=
191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0Basque Country</a>=C2=A0and<a href=3D"h=
ttp://presupuesto.aragon.es/" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decorati=
on:initial">=C2=A0Aragon</a>, have released both budget and execution data,=
 but there=E2=80=99s still a long way to go.</li>
<li style=3D"line-height:1.5em;margin-bottom:12px;list-style-type:disc">In =
its work defending and promoting the right to know, Access Info Europe has =
carried out international campaigns requesting information about the<a href=
=3D"http://www.access-info.org/en/access-for-rights/378-policing-protests" =
style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0use of force=
</a>=C2=A0by police or<a href=3D"http://www.access-info.org/en/access-for-r=
ights/384-immigration-detention" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decor=
ation:initial">=C2=A0immigration detention practices</a>, among others. Cas=
es related to<a href=3D"http://www.access-info.org/en/litigation/379-eu-tra=
nsparency-on-trial" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial=
">=C2=A0access to EU document have been won</a>, but the litigation strateg=
y in Spain is facing hostile opposition: last January, Access Info Europe w=
as required to pay =E2=82=AC3000 (approx $3,650) in legal fees<a href=3D"ht=
tp://www.access-info.org/en/litigation/297-ministry-of-justice-corruption-c=
ase" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0after t=
he Supreme Court ruled</a>=C2=A0that the NGO does not have the right to ask=
 what the government is doing to fight corruption.</li>
</ul><p style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8em;max-w=
idth:700px;text-align:center"><img class=3D"" alt=3D"Civio Foundation" src=
=3D"http://sunlightfoundation.com/media/2013/06/Civio-Foundation.png" width=
=3D"511" height=3D"330" style=3D"height: auto; border: 2px solid rgb(227, 2=
23, 223); vertical-align: middle; padding: 1px; margin-bottom: 20px;"></p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px">=C2=A0<strong>Slow but steady achievements</strong></p><=
p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8em=
;max-width:700px">
After 14 months of public debate around access to information,<a href=3D"ht=
tp://www.access-info.org/documents/Spain_FOTE_tables_25012013.pdf" style=3D=
"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0polls</a>=C2=A0revea=
l a huge social demand for greater transparency. Thanks to regular meetings=
 with government officials and political representatives, smaller parties h=
ave adopted these<a href=3D"http://www.access-info.org/en/spain/377-pro-acc=
eso-petition" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=
=A010 principles</a>=C2=A0of the Coalici=C3=B3n Pro Acceso (a coalition of =
65 organizations calling for an improvement to the transparency bill) and d=
efended them in Congress.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px">In the field of lobbying regulation, Access Info Europe=
=E2=80=99s<a href=3D"http://www.access-info.org/en/lobbying-transparency/26=
5-civil-society-demands-a-more-transparent-eu-lobby-register-" style=3D"col=
or:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0campaigns</a>=C2=A0have =
gone from Madrid to Brussels, demanding improvements to the European Union=
=E2=80=99s lobbying transparency register. The Civio Foundation, thanks to =
an<a href=3D"http://innovation.globalintegrity.org/hiddenagenda/" style=3D"=
color:rgb(120,188,191);text-decoration:initial">=C2=A0innovation grant</a>=
=C2=A0from Global Integrity, is setting up a database of power networks, re=
volving door and nepotism cases in Spain. The ultimate goal is to push Cong=
ress to regulate lobbies, and to include officials=E2=80=99 agendas into th=
e future FOI law.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px">All these projects try to make the best out of the few o=
fficial sources available, while pushing for increased accountability in pu=
blic administrations and a strengthening of the future access to informatio=
n law, currently below international standards. It=E2=80=99s early to say w=
hether our efforts will be successful in bringing about much needed change,=
 but the continued support gathered from the growing international pro tran=
sparency and open government data community will be key.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 20px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.8e=
m;max-width:700px"><strong>Interested in writing a guest blog for Sunlight?=
 Email us at=C2=A0<a href=3D"mailto:" style=3D"color:rgb(120,188,191);text-=
decoration:initial">guestblog at sunlightfoundation.com</a></strong></p>
</div><div><br></div>-- <br><span style=3D"color:rgb(136,136,136)">J=C3=BAl=
ia Keser=C5=B1</span><br><div><span style=3D"color:rgb(136,136,136)">Intern=
ational Program Coordinator</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span styl=
e=3D"color:rgb(136,136,136)">1818 N Street NW, Suite 300</span><br style=3D=
"color:rgb(136,136,136)">
<span style=3D"color:rgb(136,136,136)">Washington, DC 20036=C2=A0</span></d=
iv><div><span style=3D"color:rgb(136,136,136)">(1) 202-742-1520 *280</span>=
</div><div><br style=3D"color:rgb(136,136,136)"><span style=3D"color:rgb(13=
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