Strasbourg, 15/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - Jens-Peter Bonde, President of the Europe for Democracies and Diversities at the European Parliament and Tony Bunyan who heads Statewatch expressed their distinct displeasure at a press conference in Strasbourg Monday night. They were dissatisfied with the way in which the new Regulation on public access to documents from the European institutions has so far been applied. Mr Bonde, who has been described by the British weekly, European Voice, as "European politician of the year", told the press that he thought that the reason why he had been awarded the prize was for the long-term campaign he had led for greater transparency and who, like Tony Bunyan, has fought for the same objectives for around fifteen years. Mr Bonde has decided to give the EUR 500 prize money from the European Voice to Mr Bunyan so that he can continue to fight.
Jens-Peter Bonde indicated to the press that the documents that he has so far been unsuccessful in obtaining from the Commission and the Council do not contain "military secrets" or secrets on negotiations but straightforward information on legislative processes that are currently underway. He described how they were unable to even obtain a complete list of the committees that take part in the processes or a complete list of the declarations from the legal service that are essential in understanding the development of the different projects. The Danish MEP was outraged that it had been impossible to obtain copies and reports of the "screening" of the adaptation of candidate countries to the Community acquis.
Tony Bunyan described the implementation of the Regulation on access to documents as a "great disappointment". The European Mediator, Jacob Söderman, said that there were still "dinosaurs" walking around. He denounced the veto introduced recently by the USA government to access to documents that contain nothing but the agenda to meetings with the EU. "That might appear incredible", but access to documents containing simple lists of subjects for discussion, following pressure from third countries, was being refused, commented Mr Bunyan. He also declared that, in the name of the war against terrorism, "we are witnessing one of the most serious attacks on civil liberties" for decades.
Stateswatch is an organisation created in 1991 and is made up of lawyers, university lecturers, journalist and researchers from twelve countries.