How to use Freedom of Information

in Europe?Karel Platteau

Deputy Editor Wobbing EuropeThe Pascal Decroos Fund for Investigative Journalism

M. +32 474 51 44 12T. +32 2 705 59 19F. +32 2 705 59 29

E. karel.platteau@wobbing.euW. http://www.wobbing.eu

Wobbing

• Wob = Freedom of Information Act– Ethymology: Wet Openbaarheid naar Bestuur, the

abbreviation Wob is a slang expression used by Dutch/Flemish journalists

• wobbing = using a freedom of information act to get documents

Have you been wobbing today?

Wobs in Europe– pioneering and tradition

Transparency-legislation since:

• Sweden – 1766, constitutional status• US - 1966• Denmark - 1985• EU – December 2001• Britain – January 2005• Germany – January 2006

• Most European countries have some legislation, however the practices vary immensely from country to country.

The extremes

Sweden Germany

FOI since 1766 FOI since 2006

constitutional status very little legal practice yet

informal approach formal approach

very open strong protection of privacy, strong

protection of business

General picture: similar legal structure – varying levels of exemptions in EU and member states

No is not necessarily an answer:www.Farmsubsidy.org

The Farmsubsidy network

• 2002 – first application in Denmark• 2004 – data out in Denmark• 2004 – first application EU Commission – turned down

(case finished by Ombudsman 2007: Maladministration)

• 2005 – data out in Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden

• 2006 - 2008 – data out in Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Finland, Germany…..

• 2008-2009 – EU change of legislation, so data in part have to be disclosed on a regular basis

Differences can be used creatively

Obstacles are similar

• Lack of tradition of transparency

• Lack of appropriate wob-legislation

• Definition of documents– databases

• Privacy

• Business secrets

• Work load for administrationhttp://www.wobbing.eu

= Meetingplace for journalists and others, who wish to use freedom of informations laws in Europe

• It is a growing network of key-colleagues and an overview of legislations, good practices and experiences.