International Right to Know Day

"International Right to Know Day - What the EU can learn from others"

Seminar organised by the European Ombudsman

28 September 2011, 10:00-12:30
followed by a reception
Room ASP A1-G2 (entrance from the Place du Luxembourg side of the Altiero Spinelli building), European Parliament, Brussels

The International Right to Know Day, celebrated on 28 September, was established in 2003 by access to information advocates from around the world. Its aim is to raise awareness of every individual's right of access to information. While much progress in this area has been made in the EU over the past decade, the fact remains that one third of the inquiries carried out by the European Ombudsman each year concern lack of transparency. The seminar will seek to explore various dimensions of the right of access by focusing on best practices in Europe and beyond. What lessons can the EU learn regarding the right to know? Which countries' practices should serve as models?

To discuss the above-mentioned questions, the European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, will be joined by the following speakers:

●      The Finnish Minister for International Development and former MEP, Heidi Hautala
"Nordic transparency as a role model"

●      The Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the EU, Thomas J. White

"The United States Freedom of Information Act"

●      The Director of Access Info Europe, Helen Darbishire
"Keys to making the EU transparent, accountable and participatory" 

Chair: Geoff Meade, Europe Editor of the Press Association