Council annual report on access to documents 2013

This annual report on public access to Council documents describes trends in requests for access to documents and highlights key developments in the Council’s implementation of the 2001 Access to documents Regulation in 2013.

The report also reviews complaints submitted to the European Ombudsman as well as rulings given by the European Courts in 2013 under Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 in cases relating to access to Council documents.

Whilst access to documents is an important aspect of the principle of openness, it is not the only aspect. The Council and the European Parliament meet in public when considering and voting on a legislative act.

Furthermore, the Council’s debates on important issues affecting the interests of the Union and its citizens are often held in public.

A number of measures aiming at facilitating the public’s access to factual information and documents about the Council’s work has been or will be taken in the near future. To that end, the Council’s website is currently undergoing a general overhaul. In addition, a database of voting records on legislative acts was developed in 2013 and will shortly be available online. Finally, the Council continues to cooperate with transparency stakeholders through more consistent contacts and a more proactive approach.

Link to this title through its DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.2860/96378

Council of the European Union: Documents: Policy regarding access to European Council and Council documents http://www.consilium.europa.eu/documents/policy-regarding-access-to-council-documents?lang=en

European Parliament: 2013 Annual Report oof the European Parliament on Public Access to document (Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 – Article 17) http://www.europarl.europa.eu/register/pdf/rapport_annuel_2013_EN.pdf

---