Three New Transparency Campaigns Focus on the Demand for More Access to EU Documents
Madrid, 29 September 2014 – Access Info Europe has launched a new version of the request platform AsktheEU.org, which now includes special features to help civil society organisations campaign to get access to EU documents, in celebration of International Right to Know Day on 28 September.
The features include campaigns pages that civil society groups can use to highlight areas of lack of transparency and to advocate for access to particular EU documents related to issues they are working on.
Access Info Europe also unveiled a new “widget” (piece of code) which can be embedded in civil society websites and blogs to encourage users to support a campaign by clicking the “I also want to know!” button, and so demonstrate the public interest in disclosing the requested EU documents.
Access Info, a human rights organisation specialising in government transparency, has released a short video which explains how the new features can be incorporated into civil society campaigns.
“Our goal with AsktheEU.org is to make it easier for the public to follow and have a say in what is going on in Brussels, in the decisions which have a direct impact on our lives, simply by sending questions via the website,” stated Helen Darbishire, Executive Director of Access Info Europe.
Examples of campaign pages already on the AsktheEU.org website include requests for documents about the controversial and secretive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, a campaign about the recent refusal to provide details of European Commissioners Expenses, and the demand for more transparency of lobbying over EU rules on labelling of food with high sugar content.
“Our new campaigns pages will highlight civil society interest in documents that they need in order to carry out their work as public watchdogs,” stated Pam Bartlett Quintanilla, Campaigner at Access Info Europe. “This should help persuade the EU to disclose the requested documents.”
Launched exactly 3 years ago on International Right to Know Day 2011, AsktheEU.org is an online platform for citizens to send access to documents requests directly to EU institutions, and have the responses published online and in real-time. AsktheEU.org runs the Alaveteli software developed by mySociety, which is currently deployed in 18 request platforms worldwide.
For more information, please contact:
Helen Darbishire | Access Info Europe
helen@access-info.org +34 913 65 65 58
Pam Bartlett Quintanilla | Access Info Europe
pam@access-info.org +34 913 65 65 58
Published by AsktheEu.org.
