Brussels opens debate on public access to EU documents

The Commission described the move as "a further step in the drive towards more openness." Commission Vice-President in charge of Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy Margot Wallström said: "We are committed to high standards of transparency of EU decision-making process. Access to documents is an important citizens' right. With this consultation, we start the discussion how it can be best exercised."

MEP Diana Wallis (UK, Lib Dem), Parliament vice-president in charge of transparency and access to documents, said: "This consultation by the Commission is welcome but we cannot afford to delay strengthening provisions on transparency. Parliament itself has a good record of granting access to information it holds, but it should not become complacent."

The announcement was not welcomed in all quarters - civil liberties watchdog Statewatch launched two complaints against the Commission to the European Ombudsman, claiming that the EU executive "has failed to maintain a proper public register of documents"  and that "only a fraction of the documents it produces are included - the Commission failed to produce its annual report on access to documents for 2005 in the year 2006". 

Statewatch says both are breaches of the Regulation and therefore are examples of "maladministration".

Tony Bunyan, director of Statewatch, said: "The European Commission is not above the law, it is the custodian of EU law, responsible for ensuring it is properly implemented...Open, transparent and accountable decision-making is the essence of any democratic system. Secrecy is its enemy and produces distrust, cynicism and apathy among citizens and closed minds among policymakers. The European Commission must be called to account for its actions or rather its failures to act."