International Right to Know Day, which takes place every 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: Finnish Minister for International Development and former MEP, Heidi Hautala, the Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission to the EU, Thomas J. White, the Director of Access Info Europe, Helen Darbishire. The event will be chaired by Geoff Meade, Europe Editor of the Press Association.

Access Info Europe will also be launching at this event a new web portal via which anyone can file a request to any institution, office, body or agency that is covered by the European Union Access to Documents Regulation 1049/2001. The portal, which will be called www.asktheeu.org,  will track the responses received from the EU institutions, and provide opportunities for users to rate their satisfaction with the answers received.

The seminar will be on 28 September 2011, from 10:00-12:30, followed by a reception. It will be in Room ASP A1-G2 at the European Parliament in Brussels – (entrance from the Place du Luxembourg side of the Altiero Spinelli building).

Please fill in the following registration form ASAP.