“Statewatch applications split the European Council”

Three appeals made by Statewatch editor Tony Bunyan made against the refusal to release documents concerning the Council of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers has produced major divisions in the European Council over the issue of secrecy. The first case, reported in Statewatch vol 6 no 2, March-April 1996, saw three governments – Denmark, Sweden and Finland – making public Declarations in support of greater openness and two governments voting against the proposed reply – Denmark and the UK. The second, reported below, similarly saw Denmark and Sweden again calling for more documents to be released. Four countries voted against the proposed response by the Council to an appeal – Denmark, Sweden, France and Portugal. The French vote against the proposed response cannot be taken as one of support for openness in the light of its later attack on … but rather that too many documents were being released. The third case on the Minutes of the K4 Committee, reported on page 1 and below, saw seven countries lining up in favour of greater openness and against a obviously absurd interpretation of the rules of access to documents.

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Today, Tony Bunyan, the Editor of Statewatch bulletin, lodged five complaints with the European Ombudsman on the European Council’s refusal to give access to documents.

The complaints charge the Council with a series of decisions which constitute maladministration including misapplying the Council decision on public access to documents, refusing to supply information, and abuse of power.

John Carvel, of the Guardian newspaper, who won a case in the European Court of Justice against the Council over access to documents in 1995 said:

The Ombudsman will be appalled at the way the Council has broken its own rules in a paranoid attempt to maintain official secrecy. Mr Bunyan has been treated disgracefully.

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EUROPOL-DRUGSEENHEID

Activiteiten van de Europol-Drugseenheid van 1 januari tot en met 31 december 1995

Tweede jaarlijks voortgangsverslag

Inleiding

In 1995, het tweede jaar van het bestaan van de Europese Drugseenheid (hierna “EDE”), is de dagelijkse uitwisseling van inlichtingen tussen de Lid-Staten via EDE zowel kwantitatief als kwalitatief blijven toenemen, maar hebben zich ook zeer belangrijke politieke ontwikkelingen voorgedaan. Door het Gemeenschappelijk Optreden, dat op 20 maart 1995 is ingegaan, werd het mandaat aanmerkelijk gewijzigd en aangevuld. Met de ondertekening van de Europol Overeenkomst door de Permanente Vertegenwoordigers van de 15 Lid-Staten in juli te Brussel werd een zeer belangrijke stap naar bekrachtiging van de Overeenkomst gezet. EDE was en blijft intens betrokken bij de uitvoering van het beleid dat uiteengezet is in het door de Europese Raad van Madrid (15-16 december 1995) goedgekeurde document CORDROGUE 69.

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