By Martin Banks - 23rd July 2007
The European ombudsman has called for citizens to have wider access to documents and information.
Strasbourg-based Nikiforos Diamandouros says this would give the public a better understanding of the role played by member states in implementing EU policies.
His call is contained in his response to the European commission’s public consultation on how to improve the current access to documents legislation.
The Greek official stressed that “transparency is essential for citizens to participated in the political process and to hold public authorities to account”.
According to Diamandoros, “the lack of minimum standards for transparency about EU-related matters in member states represents a serious weakness in the EU’s democratic structure”.
“For example, a member state currently has the right to veto public access to its documents at the EU level, without giving any reason.”
He makes proposals on how to tackle the problem and called for shorter review procedures in cases where access to documents has been denied.
Citizens, NGOs, enterprises or other organisations who turn to the ombudsman after an EU institution has refused access to certain documents should not have to wait months for the institution to explain its position, he said.
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