Strasbourg, 05/04/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 4 April, the European Parliament again looked at the Council's transparency shortcomings, especially when it acts as legislator, as well as the difficulties encountered by the public when seeking access to documents.
With the adoption of the report by Spanish Green member David Hammerstein Mintz by 596 votes to 9 and 12 abstentions, the Parliament considers it unacceptable that the most important legislative body of the EU should continue to meet behind closed doors when acting as legislator. Although the EU considers it should promote democratisation and political accountability, the Parliament believes the Council ought to respond to the calls for increased transparency coming from the national parliaments, civil society and the general public. The report recalls that the work done in parliamentary committees is open to the public and considers that there are different transparency standards for the Council “without any logical justification” - especially when issues are being dealt with in codecision. The MEPs are of the view that these transparency rules should also apply to Coreper, the body of permanent Member State representatives with the EU which prepares Council deliberations (see EUROPE 9167 on the intentions of the forthcoming Finnish Presidency). The Parliament calls on Council to amend its rules of procedure and to change its working methods so that meetings on its legislative activity will be open and accessible to the public. Furthermore, the Council is expected to broadcast its public meetings, including on the internet, and to provide dates and agendas for these meetings sufficiently in advance, and present the official minutes in full “in all official EU languages”. The Council is also urged to adopt a common approach concerning implementation of the best administrative code of practice in the EU, adopted by the European Parliament. MEPs invite the Austrian Council Presidency to make this question a priority on the European Council agenda and to make a “solemn commitment” on 9 May 2006 (Europe Day) to immediately amend the Council's rules of procedure and review the rules on access to documents by the end of the year and in accord with the Parliament.
In another own-initiative report prepared by British Labour member Michael Cashman and also adopted, the Parliament calls on the Commission to present revised legislation by the end of this year on right of access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents. The result of lengthy negotiation with the Parliament and Council, the Community legislation on access by the public to the texts of the institutions was adopted in 2001. MEPs today consider that its context was too vague and call for this legislation to be reviewed in order to clarify the bases on which the specific documents may be classified as “confidential”. They hope to prevent documents being routinely classified confidential simply because they relate to an issue that may be or could be important from the security point of view. It would also be appropriate, they say, to take other measures to ensure that access is granted to all preparatory documents on legislative procedure (including opinions from legal services), as well as to debates held within the Parliament or Council when these institutions act in their capacity as legislator, and to the identity of the author of any initiative. Finally, the Council should, MEPs say, restrict the right of Member States to limit access to their contributions and amendments in codecision procedures.