photo: ALBOWIEB

Good access-to-information news! This year we helped NGO TransparentSea in an access to documents case regarding EU Fisheries Partnership Agreements (FPAs) with third party states. We requested access to all the reports held that provide evaluations and audits of EU fisheries agreements with non-EU countries.  TransparentSea had originally been refused access on the grounds that the documents are confidential to protect commercial interests of the European fishing fleet and preserve the international relations of the EU.

The EU currently has agreements with 15 countries, most of which are in Africa, worth €140 million. The requested documents contain information on the environmental, economic and social impact of these agreements, as well as information on how EU money has been used by host governments.   

Once ClientEarth got involved access to a number of documents was granted (though, admittedly, not all). This success was compounded when we found that evaluations of FPAs (one of the things we had asked) are now being made available on the Commission's web-site. 
 
Of course, we will have to make sure that that the documents we have not yet received will also be released and that release of the documents happens systematically, but this is a great step in the right direction for access to information at the Commission. They deserve kudos for making this information available, and encouragement to release what they’ve so far held back.