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18 December 2014
Access Info Europe Dec. 17 asked the Spanish Ombudsman to look at various “obstacles” to using Spain’s transparency law. The Madrid-based group objected that “requesters may only send information requests via the Transparency Portal by complicated and time-consuming process, which resulted in no member of Access Info Europe has yet having completed the bureaucratic steps […]
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11 December 2014
On the first day that Spain’s access to information law (English version) was effective, Dec. 10, users experienced difficulty using the online request system, according to the lobbying group Access Info Europe. The group reported that it could not manage to make a request. Also, requesters from some EU countries were redirected to websites in […]
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14 April 2014
Access Info Europe April 14 appealed to the European Court of Human Rights following an unsuccessful seven-year legal battle to obtain information from Spain’s Ministry of Justice. Spain’s Constitutional Court in 2013 rejected an Access Info appeal based on the freedom of expression provisions of the Constitution (Article 20.1.a) and Article 10 of the European […]
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3 February 2014
The European Commission Feb. 3 praised Spain for passing a law on access to public information, but said it needs improvement. In particular, independent oversight should be added, the report said, and its implementation hastened. The comments came in a wide-ranging report on Spain’s anti-corruption efforts. The law adopted in December “represents a significant step […]
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27 November 2013
The Spanish Senate has approved a Law on Transparency, Access to Information and Good Governance, and passage by Congress is expected Nov. 28. Few changes have been made to the Cabinet’s bill during the legislative, which critics say needed considerable improvement. “The ruling Partido Popular has ignored civil society during the entire process of adopting […]
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12 September 2013
The lower house of the Spanish parliament on Sept. 12 approved a Law on Transparency and Good Governance. Approval came on a divided vote after attempts to amend the bill were turned back. Critics called the bill insufficient and opaque. The bill, presented by Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, now goes to the […]
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26 July 2013
The Spanish Parliament’s Constitutional Commission on July 25 approved amendments to the transparency law. The nonpublic session was boycotted by left of center parties, including the main opposition Socialist Party and the process came under fire from Access Info Europe. “At time of writing we don’t have a clear picture of exactly which amendments were […]
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29 October 2012
Access Info Europe has been ordered to pay €3,000 to the Spanish government after unsuccessfully seeking information for certain Ministry of Justice reports. The Spanish Supreme Court ruled that the NGO has not right to ask for such information, requested an Access Info Europe board member in 2007. The request was for Ministry of Justice […]
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3 August 2012
The Spanish Cabinet on July 27 approved an access bill and several days later released the long-awaited text of the bill (in Spanish). With the action by the Spanish Council of Ministers, the bill on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance, (proyecto de Ley de Transparencia, Acceso a la Información Pública y Buen Gobierno) […]
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31 May 2012
The Spanish government has posted the latest version (in Spanish) of a proposed transparency law. Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría on May 18 announced that the Cabinet had advanced the draft bill to the next stage of review. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) The text, however, was not immediately published. (See previous FreedomInfo.org […]
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24 May 2012
The draft access to information law for Spain has not been released yet, prompting complaints. Changes have been made to the version put out for public comment in March, and observers are eager to see the latest iteration. Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría on May 18 announced that the Cabinet had advanced […]
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18 May 2012
The Spanish Cabinet May 18 decided to take another step in the process of developing a freedom of information law. The Cabinet agreed to send the draft legislation to the data protection agency, an independent body, and to the State Council, a body within the government that advises on legal and constitutional matters. It is expected that the Cabinet will revisit the […]
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19 March 2011
Spain’s Ministry of the Presidency on March 17 promised civil society organizations of Spain’s Coalicion Pro Acceso to say, within one month, whether the Spanish government will propose freedom of information legislation. Minister Ramón Jáuregui told the coalition that the law has not been definitively shelved, despite the press of other business, and that he […]
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22 September 2010
Access Info Europe Sept. 22 revealed a leaked copy of a draft Spanish access to information law and opened a public consultation on the nonpublic draft, which Access Info says “falls below prevailing European standards.” The group has posted a copy of the leaked document on its website. The government has not officially released its proposal, […]
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27 August 2010
An expected meeting of the Spanish Council of Ministers Aug. 20 on a yet-undisclosed proposal for a freedom of information law was not held, prompting calls for more transparency. Access Info wrote a letter to the Spanish government Aug. 25 asking for information about the draft “Law on Transparency and Citizen Access to Public Information.” […]
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19 August 2010
The Spanish government is commencing work on a “Transparency and Access to Information Law,” an initiative signaled by a leak to the media. The draft, a copy if which is still unavailable, was quickly criticized as inadequate. The public learned of the proposal Aug. 16, when the Spanish Daily El País reported a few details and said that […]
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20 October 2009
Madrid, Spain — Transparency NGO Access Info Europe released a report on October 20 entitled “Not Available! Not Accessible!” to coincide with the opening of the International Aid Transparency Initiative’s conference of donors and recipient governments in the Hague. The report shows how donor governments are failing to make available the information needed to prevent corruption in […]
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24 February 2009
Related Material from Guatemalan Military Archives Could Be Released Soon Madrid, Spain — Official documents from American and Guatemalan government files were presented as evidence last week in Spains National Courtthe Audiencia Nacionaland turned over to Judge Santiago Pedraz. However, the Guatemalan documentary record remains largely inaccessible, despite rulings by the Guatemalan court and even […]
