Strasbourg, 29/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - In an interview granted this summer with the Finnish regional daily Aamulehti, European Ombudsman Jacob Söderman had reacted to the fears expressed by the International Federation of Journalists concerning the new rules of the EU Council on public access to documents relating to security and defence matters (see EUROPE of 25 August, p.3). Mr Söderman mainly felt that these rules were not necessary and deplored the fact that they could be applied to questions about non-military crisis management means also. In addition, he had said that Mr Solana's appointment had been a "serious mistake".
In response to our questions, Mr Söderman confirmed that, in his opinion, these new Council rules are not necessary. He considers that "the old rules, and those proposed this year by the Commission, were perfectly adequate for ensuring that delicate military information be kept secret", and that this is a "limitation on access which everybody should accept". Mr Söderman stressed once more that extending secrecy to "non-military crisis management" could be applied to a whole range of areas currently open to public scrutiny. He went on to specify that: "they can also make defence policy papers permanently secret. I accept that sensitive operational aspects of defence have to be kept secret. However, policy matters should normally be accessible for the citizens so that they can understand and discuss the policy in question".
Mr Söderman regrets, moreover, the "casual comment" regarding the appointment of a NATO Secretary General to the highest office in the Council. "I never intended to criticise Mr Solana's person and qualities and fully respect his impressive and wide-ranging political experience", said Mr Söderman before concluding: "It would have been wiser for me not to have made such a comment at all in this debate".