Hautala’s draft report on public access to documents  for the years 2009-2010 has been published. The report concerns implementation of the regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 on public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.

[:]Lisbon Treaty introduced a new constitutional framework of EU institutional transparency by establishing a firm fundamental right of access to documents of EU institutions.  Now the Regulation does not only cover the Parliament, the Council and the Commission, but also  all other  EU institutions and agencies.

Access to documents is an essential part of participatory democracy and fundamental rights. According to Hautala, the EU should provide an example for high institutional transparency.

Hautala’s report highlights the problems in implementing the regulation and the existing case law. Therefore she calls on the Commission to present a revision of the regulation.

The report urges the Council’s to open up its legislative work and the Commission to give more information on expert groups and other relevant executive bodies.

The report is debated in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on 24 May. The debate can be followed here.  The report is expected to be voted in the plenary in July 2011.

Background documents:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/libe/dt/854/854597/854597en.pdf
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/libe/dt/854/854668/854668en.pdf
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/libe/dt/863/863237/863237en.pdf
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/libe/dt/864/864325/864325en.pdf