Union puts on a user-friendly face

Date: 15/02/1996

By Rory Watson

A REPORT to be released next month will reveal that the vast majority of public requests for previously-confidential internal European Commission documents since 1994 have been granted.

The results of the first in-depth review of the new openness policy the Commission introduced two years ago will show that out of over 500 requests for access to internal papers, just 13&percent; were rejected because their contents were considered too sensitive.

Almost one-third of the applications for documents came from Belgium, reflecting the extensive ranks of EU-focused bodies in its capital city, while one in five came from the UK, perhaps indicating the high level of interest in Union activities in its most sceptical member state.

The recent moves to lift the veil of secrecy in which EU activities have long been shrouded are designed to project a more user-friendly face to the public.

The drive for greater openness within the Commission is being led by its President Jacques Santer, Secretary-General David Williamson and Transparency Commissioner Marcelino Oreja, who says the issue is now a “top priority”, adding: “It is seen as a crucial instrument in bringing the Community closer to its citizens.”

But many in the institution believe more needs to be done. “There is still a mentality problem,” said one official. “Some people do not want to give outsiders access to internal papers, maintaining they should remain internal. We need to work on this.”

As part of its more open policy the Commission is improving access to its internal decision-making procedures. By early summer, it aims to have compiled an electronic register of some 800 non-profit pan-European organisations involved in EU policy areas.

The list will be available to both Union officials and the public. It is designed to encourage officials to consult as widely as possible when considering policy options and to make citizens more aware of the interest groups on the European scene.

The more secretive Council of Ministers has also subscribed to the openness code of conduct for the past two years, although its policy on public access to documents has been subjected to a series of legal challenges. As yet, the Council has been unable to give a detailed breakdown of its response to the 170 requests for documents received in the last two years.

Despite the progress made so far, the public still faces a 'catch-22' when seeking internal Commission or Council data. Neither institution keeps a record of the hundreds of documents circulating within their walls. But to request a report, the applicant must first know of its existence, so that it can be clearly identified by those responsible for information requests.

After studying the Swedish practice of logging all mail, EU officials are investigating the possibility of establishing a central register of documents in each institution.