EC releases internal documents on Common Fisheries Policy
28 May 2014 10:35 AM
The European Ombudsman,
Emily O'Reilly, has welcomed the European Commission's decision to
release internal documents concerning its proposal for a new regulation on the
Common Fisheries Policy. This follows a complaint from a German
researcher whose request to access the documents was initially
refused.
Emily O'Reilly explained:
"The European Commission plays a crucial role in drafting legislation. The
information it relies on should be publicly available during the legislative
process. That would enable the European Parliament to play its role as
legislator more effectively and enhance public trust."
For citizens to trust EU
decision-making it needs to be transparent
In 2011, a German academic asked
the Commission for access to various documents, including draft versions of
inter-service consultations and proposals for amendments concerning a new
regulation on the Common Fisheries Policy. The Commission only granted partial
access, arguing that full disclosure would undermine its decision-making
process.
The researcher turned to the
Ombudsman who inspected the documents and concluded that the Commission's
arguments for refusing disclosure were not convincing. According to the
Ombudsman, the EU's transparency rules foresee the widest possible access
when EU institutions act in their legislative capacity. Furthermore, she did
not share the Commission's concerns that disclosure would undermine its
internal deliberations. She noted, to the contrary, that in a democratic system
different and even conflicting opinions should be openly
discussed.
The Commission followed the
Ombudsman's recommendation to release the documents, but only after an
agreement on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy had been reached in May
2013. She welcomed this outcome but made clear that in future cases, she
expects the Commission to give access to similar documents
immediately.
The Ombudsman's full
decision is available here:http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/cases/decision.faces/en/54453/html.book
mark
The European Ombudsman
investigates complaints about maladministration in the EU institutions and
bodies. Any EU citizen, resident, or an enterprise or association in a Member
State, can lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman offers a fast,
flexible, and free means of solving problems with the EU administration. For
more information: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu
For press inquiries:
Ms Gundi Gadesmann, Deputy Head of the Communication Unit, tel.: +32
2 284 26 09, Twitter @EUombudsman