[open-government] EU calls on Spain to strengthen transparency law

[Andreas Pavlou]

/Apologies for cross posting./


*EU Calls on Spain to Strengthen Transparency Law*

malstrom/Madrid, Monday 3 February 2014/-- Access Info Europe today 
welcomed the European Union's first anti-corruption report on Spain 
<http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/organized-crime-and-human-trafficking/corruption/anti-corruption-report/docs/2014_acr_spain_chapter_en.pdf>, 
which called for measures to strengthen Spain's transparency law adopted 
in December 2013 in line with those which civil society has been 
campaigning for.

Access Info Europe urged the Spanish government to act immediately on 
the recommendations, which include guaranteeing independence of the 
appeals body, enhancing sanctions for non-compliance, and a narrower 
scope of exceptions to the principle of access to information.

The EU's report also highlights the extreme culture of corruption in 
Spain, noting that 65% of the public believe that they are directly 
affected by corruption, the highest figure in Europe and well above the 
25% average.

"/A strong access to information regime is essential for fighting 
corruption and it's once again clear that Spain is seriously lagging 
behind on transparency and will continue that way unless urgent measures 
are taken to strengthen the legal framework for access to information/," 
commented Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe.

Access Info Europe regretted that the EU had not also called on Spain to 
recognise the fundamental right of access to information in line with 
the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence and the fact that 
access to EU documents is a right of all EU citizens and residents.

*Lobby Regulation Needed*
The EU report also points out the two year period for the law to come 
into force at all administrative levels. Access Info Europe has 
expressed concerns that in spite of the pressing need to tackle 
corruption and secrecy, the law will not be in force at the national 
level until 10 December 2014, and at the regional and local level not 
until December 2015.

The EU's anti-corruption report also highlights challenging areas where 
Spain needs to enhance public integrity and transparency; lobbying, 
political party financing and public procurement. Access Info in January 
2014 launched a campaign in Spain for regulation of lobbying, which is 
currently unregulated, and for specific rules which will strengthen 
transparency of the activity of lobbyists.

*For more information, please contact:*
*Helen Darbishire |* Access Info Europe
helen at access-info.org <mailto:helen at access-info.org> +34 667 685 319

*Vicky Anderica |* Access Info Europe
victoria at access-info.org <mailto:victoria at access-info.org> +34 913 65 65 58

http://www.access-info.org/en/spain/536-eu-anticorruption-report-spain

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