FITUG e.V. Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft

[EFIL] EP vote on "deal" on access

------- Forwarded message follows ------- To: office@statewatch.org From: Statewatch <statewatch-off@geo2.poptel.org.uk> Date sent: Thu, 03 May 2001 16:05:36 +0100 Send reply to: EFIL@yahoogroups.com Subject: [EFIL] EP vote on "deal" on access

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTES IN FAVOUR OF "DEAL" WITH THE COUNCIL ON ACCESS TO EU DOCUMENTS - campaign for an open and democratic Europe to continue

The plenary session of the European Parliament today (3 May) voted in favour of opting the "deal" reaches with the Council (the 15 EU governments) on a new Regulation on citizens' right of access to EU documents.

The vote was 400 votes in favour, 85 against and 12 abstentions on the final vote on the legislative resolution. The EPP(conservative), PSE(Socialist) and ELDR(Liberal) groups were in favour, the Greens/EFA, GUE(European United Left) and EDD (Europe of Democracies) groups voted against: [Green/EFA group press release]. In a nominal vote on amendment 95, which seeks to oblige the member states to "respect the security rules of the institutions", the vote was 370 in favour, 115 against, 11 abstentions.

In the previous vote on 16 November last year: 409 voted in favour of the report from Michael Cashman (rapporteur), 3 against and with the Green MEPs abstaining.

Leading civil society groups had written to all MEPs calling on them to reject the "deal" with the Council

Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments:

"It shows that on this issue the majority in the European Parliament are closer to the governments in the Council than they are to the people who elected them.

Citizens and civil society were promised that the commitment in the Amsterdam Treaty would "enshrine" their rights of access to EU documents. Instead all three Brussels institutions have colluded, through secret negotiations rather than open procedures, to reach a deal that suits them.

The campaign for an "Open Europe", which has gathered in strength over the past two years, will have to continue its work. The call from civil society for an open, accountable and democratic Europe may have been ignored on this occasion but its case is stands unanswerered."

Statewatch News online: <http://www.statewatch.org/news>

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