In a resolution adopted at its Strasbourg plenary yesterday, the European Parliament expressed concern that "in spite of the clear requests" it made last spring, "the Commission has not put forward a modified version of its draft law".
Commenting after the vote, Finnish MEP Heidi Hautala, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur on the issue and co-author of the resolution, said "the Parliament has sent a strong message to the Commission that it will not tolerate any backward steps on public access to documents and the transparency of EU decision-making".
Back in March, MEPs approved a report drafted by UK Labour MEP Michael Cashman regarding the revision of a 2001 regulation on the right of public access to EU documents (EurActiv 12/03/09).
The report amended Commission plans to improve public access to EU documents, published by the EU executive in April 2008.
Despite adopting Cashman's draft, however, the Parliament decided to postpone its vote on an accompanying legislative resolution to give the Commission the opportunity "to modify its proposal".
Yesterday's resolution criticised the EU executive for having so far failed to respond to these demands.
EU executive 'willing to contribute'
Expressing the EU executive's willingness to contribute to reaching an agreement "as in other legislative processes," Joe Hennon, spokesperson for Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström, told EurActiv that "further progress in the legislative process leading to the adoption of an amended Regulation 1049 [on access to documents] is in the hands of the legislator," referring to the Parliament and the Council.
"We are still at the stage of the first reading. At this stage we do not have a legislative resolution and we do not have the position of the new Parliament," Hennon added.
Rules should apply to all EU agencies, bodies
The scope of EU access to documents legislation should be widened following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty "to cover all EU bodies, offices and agencies, including the European Central Bank, the European Court of Justice, Europol and Eurojust," the European Parliament demanded yesterday in its resolution.
MEPs want to grant citizens access to legal service opinions, Council documents – including positions and votes cast – and files related to international agreements, protection of personal data and the content of institutions' registers.
The resolution also called for the development of more user-friendly systems to grant citizens access to EU documents, urging the creation of a common webpage bringing together links to sites that promote public access.
Rejection threat
Greens/EFA MEP Hautala, meanwhile, argues that "if the Council and the Commission do not budge from their positions, Parliament should reject the whole proposal".
"The present legal situation is already very satisfactory, thanks to transparency-friendly interpretations of the law in the EU courts," Hautala said.
Yesterday, the European Parliament again refrained from taking a final vote on the legislation, preferring instead to wait for the Commission to respond to its demands.
