Sweden calls for increased openness

Date: 23/11/1995

SWEDEN is pressing the EU to implement a formal freedom of information policy which would guarantee public access to official papers.

Stockholm believes access is a citizen's right and would reduce the alienation individuals feel towards the Union. It wants the policy to be agreed at next year's IGC and clearly set out in the revised Maastricht Treaty.

“We believe the way the Union does business with the lack of openness is a factor in anti-EU sentiment. There is a lot of talk about getting people to see the benefits of membership. For that you should present them with factual information, otherwise there is wide scope for rumours,” said a senior Swedish official.

Under the strategy presented by Sweden, citizens would have a right of public access to official documents held by an EU institution. Guidelines would be drawn up to handle requests and applicants refused access would be able to challenge the decision before the Court of First Instance in Luxembourg.

Institutions would also have to keep a public register of official documents, but Sweden accepts that there would have to be a catalogue of special subjects which would remain restricted.