Finland wants to promote transparency in the EU
Finland considers that it is important to promote transparency and good administration in the European Union, as well as to increase citizens’ possibilities to obtain information and participate in the decision-making. Finland has sent a response to the European Commission on the revision of the regulation on public access to documents held by institutions of the European Community. A public consultation organised by the Commission on this so called Access Regulation is currently taking place.
Finland agrees with the general assessment of the Commission’s Green Paper on revision of the Access Regulation that the Regulation has worked quite well, but that some aspects related to its application could be clarified. Finland stresses that the revision should be carried out in such way that it promotes transparency.
Finland takes the view that widest possible access should be granted to legislative documents, including documents that have an impact on the legislative process. Also, citizens must be given information on the Union and its activities in a more user-friendly way. The exceptions mentioned in the Access Regulation, for example concerning protection of personal data and commercial interests, should be applied only to the extent this is necessary.
Access Regulation could be developed to correspond with the way of thinking of the so called Århus Convention, which relates to access to environmental information. The Access Regulation aims to grant citizens as wide access to documents as possible, but the Århus Convention also obliges the institutions to an active dissemination of environmental information.
Handling of voluminous requests can be burdensome for the EU institutions, but it must be accepted that transparency takes resources. Finland considers that problems concerning voluminous requests should be primarily tackled by developing the registration of documents and search tools, by active dissemination of information as well as advising the citizens.
Citizens and civil society organisations as well as companies and other organisations are welcome to send their views on the Green Paper on access to documents via the Commission’s website until mid-July. The Commission aims to prepare a proposal for amending the Regulation in October 2007.
Further information: Counsellor of Legislation, Jaana Jääskeläinen, Ministry of Justice, tel. (+358 - 9 160 67747), email: [email protected]