The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states unequivocally: ‘Any citizen of the Union, and any natural or legal person residing or having its registered office in a member state, has a right of access to documents of the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union, whatever their medium’.
Despite this, the EU is increasingly hiding things from journalists, researchers and members of civil society.
When Finland joined the EU, it emphasised that “open government, including public access to official records, is a principle of fundamental legal and political importance” and that it “will continue to apply this principle in accordance with its rights and obligations as a member of the European Union”.
In recent years, Finland has grown more passive in its work for increased EU transparency.
Growing secrecy and narrowing access to documents prevent EU citizens from accessing truthful information, increase distrust and erode the EU’s fundamental values.
