On 22-23 March, the TrUE project (short for “Transparency in the EU – From Reaction to Manifesto?”), funded by the Academy of Finland, will host a methodology workshop around the subject of “how to research EU transparency”.
Today European Ombudsman O’Reilly presented the outcomes of her own-initiative inquiry of the transparency of Council preparatory bodies in the negotiation of EU legislative acts. Significantly, the Ombudsman found instances of maladministration, which signifies the strongest sanction her office can provide.
The European Ombudsman’s concludes her inquiry with the observation that the current way in which the legislative procedure in the Council is set out, it is impossible for citizens to have timely access to sufficient information on the general development of legislative dossiers and specific inputs offered by the different member states. The Ombudsman concludes that:
“[T]he Council of the EU – through practices that inhibit the scrutiny of draft EU legislation – undermines citizens’ right to hold their elected representatives to account. This constitutes maladministration.”
Transparency news reports in 2017
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 2017.
See also the news report digests for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015 (first quarter, second quarter, and second half), and 2014 (last quarter).
Transparency news reports in 2016
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 2016. See also the news report digests for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015 (first quarter, second quarter, and second half), and 2014 (last quarter).