Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-24-Speech-3-302"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20030924.10.3-302"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, I should like to thank the honourable Members who took the floor. I welcome their comments on this our common endeavour. Actually, we are working together in order to provide a better service for the citizens and to ensure democracy is exercised in a more responsible manner by all those involved.
I endorse the Vice-President’s statement. We have engineered a revolution. The Vice-President provided most of the leadership in this field in the course of her parliamentary duties. Today, we are debating the Cashman report. Yesterday, internal discussions were held between the three institutions to consider the progress achieved. The Cashman report is certainly helpful in identifying areas where there is scope for improvement. We have indeed accomplished a great deal, but we should set our sights still higher.
I expressed my views at yesterday’s meeting, but I believe it is appropriate to reiterate them before the House today. Commission records refer to the refusal of 30% of requests for information. It should be stated that the Commission only records requests requiring implementation of Regulation EC No 1049/2001. By contrast, Parliament records all requests. If the Commission recorded all direct consultation of information available to citizens where recourse to Regulation EC No 1049/2001 is not required, the percentage of requests refused would be minimal.
As stated in the Cashman report, it is very important for us to agree on the methodology for recording results. It may prove appropriate for all requests for information to be recorded. If that were done, the Commission would appear outstandingly successful in making information available to the citizen, as I said earlier. Well over 90% of requests received positive responses.
We have provided information only on the number of requests for information coming under Regulation EC No 1049/2001 that it was necessary to refuse. In each case, individual reasons and justification were provided, with reference to the provisions of the regulation in question. No information was provided for other requests.
Clearly, the process needs to be improved. A better quality of service is needed, as the Cashman report rightly points out. This too was discussed at yesterday’s meeting with the Vice-President. All three institutions must adopt a common approach when responding to requests for information and invoking exceptions. Yesterday’s discussion should prove most helpful in this regard. We are to research and assess the feasibility of actually running a joint training programme for officials, especially regarding archives.
Clearly, at the end of the day, some information simply cannot be provided and is not provided. That is the case here and in all countries. It even happens in countries boasting of maximum transparency. Some documents are not really documents as such. Rather, they are instruments supporting the exercise of the right to think and reflect. They cannot be released. The same applies to issues involving the rights of third parties. These rights could include the right to defence, in criminal cases, or economic rights in business cases. There needs to be protection in such situations, and they are provided for in the aforementioned regulation.
Mr President, I should like to thank the whole House for its interest in this subject. I do not know if Mr Cashman or Mrs Cederschiöld will be present when the next report on the subject is presented. I might not even be present myself. Nonetheless, I trust the House will then be able to agree that a step forward has been taken. That is our shared ambition and we shall do our utmost to achieve it."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples