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Transparency news reports in 2018

Politico/EPA/Stephanie Lecocq

Since September 2014, the Open Government in the EU blog scans English-language online news outlets for news on EU transparency. Please find below the news digest for 2018. Recent news reports on EU transparency can also be found on the sidebar to the right of this post.

See also the news report digests for 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016,  2015 (first quarter, second quarter, and second half), and 2014 (last quarter).

Main themes in 2018

In 2018, news reporting on EU transparency issues predominantly focussed on the European Ombudsman’s criticism of Council decision making, EP discretionary budgets, and Commission measures to enhance the visibility of (the rules around) lobbying activities.

January-March

03/01/18// Access Info: Access Info calls for greater transparency of Council of the EU in submission to European Ombudsman

17/01/18//EUObserver: Ombudsman asks ECB chief to quit secret bankers group

27/01/18// Euractiv: ECB chief rejects chance to adopt EU’s transparency register

07/02/18// EUObserver: ‘No real progress’ on Eurogroup transparency

13/02/18// Elsevier: Ombudsman: wees transparanter als je populisme wil bestrijden

13/02/18// Politico: European Ombudsman: Council’s ‘behind-closed-doors’ approach alienates EU citizens

13/02/18// EUObserver: EU ombudsman urges Council to publish secret documents

19/02/18// EUObserver: MEPs demand Council become more transparent

20/02/18// Liberties: Dutch parliamentarians demand more transparent Council decision-making

20/02/18// Brussels Times: Parliamentarians urge EU to become more transparent

26/02/18// ECER: EU-Ombudsman: Raad is onvoldoende transparant in het wetgevingsproces

22/03/18// EUObserver: Parliament must publish ‘trilogue’ documents, court says

22/03/18// Euractiv: Publish secret law files, demands EU Court in transparency ruling

22/03/18// Reuters: EU court backs more transparency in EU legislative process

23/03/18// Counsel Magazine: De Capitani v European Parliament

April-June

17/04/18// EUObserver: EU institutions begin talks on better transparency rules

19/04/18// EUObserver: Draghi to stay in secretive ‘lobby’ group

19/04/18// EUObserver: Getting secret EU trilogue documents: a case study

17/05/18// Politico: EU’s top watchdog slams Council secrecy

06/06/18// The Parliament Magazine: Transparency in EU policymaking: What happens in Brussels, stays in Brussels?

22/06/18// Euractiv: Timmermans: Increasing transparency on lobbying will boost credibility of institutions

July-September

03/07/18// Politico: Opinion: No transparency please, we’re MEPs

03/07/18// EUObserver: European Parliament to keep public in dark on MEP expenses

31/07/18// City AM: The EU’s revolving door of officials and lobbyists is an affront to transparency

01/08/18// EUObserver: Documents on new rules for MEP expenses kept secret

25/09/18// EUObserver: EU court delivers transparency blow on MEP expenses

October-December

03/10/18// EUObserver: Decline of institutions’ moral standards threatens EU

23/10/18// Euractiv: Commission urges Parliament, Council to move on transparency

07/11/18// Euractiv: EU finance ministers call for transparency in climate finance

21/11/18// EUObserver: MEPs delay vote on greater transparency

26/11/18// Euractiv: Parliament VP: We cannot ‘copy and paste’ Commission transparency rules

28/12/18//EUObserver: Opinion: Are judges destroying transparency in EU institutions?