back to article EU bangs drum over its openness rules – from which it is exempt

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) might be all about privacy, but has warned politicians and public figures it will not be helping protect their dodgy deals. The EDPS’ new guidelines for public bodies encourage EU institutions to balance transparency in the interests of the public against the data protection …

  1. Vociferous

    > merely having a legal basis for publication is not sufficient; institutions must show that publication is “truly necessary”.

    Translation: For EU bodies, everything is secret except press releases.

    The opposite is true for you, citizen.

    1. Tom 35

      Unless someone is not important and/or they are going to be thrown under the bus. Then it's truly necessary.

  2. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Vociferous

      > The presumption should be that publication is required at all times, with exceptions granted from a very small list.

      Yes. That would have been improved transparency. This document actually reduces the transparency: it states that all documents are secret, except those where the institution "can demonstrate that publication is required". That is no transparency at all. Zero transparency.

      The first paragraph, about EU bigwigs having to "accept --- less right to privacy" is simply a lie.

  3. heyrick Silver badge

    "It further adds that merely having a legal basis for publication is not sufficient; institutions must show that publication is “truly necessary”." - if there is a legal basis for publication, is attempting to override the law not in itself unlawful?

    "In all cases, institutions should document how they reached a decision." - let's see... we can engage forty columnists to rant for twenty pages, to stir up our readership and ultimately sell twice as many copies. There. It's good for the economy, see? Job done.

    Or maybe just be like a certain French publication and "publish now, apologise later".

  4. Panicnow

    Yet another reason to vote UKIP!

    1. Intractable Potsherd

      There are *no* reasons to vote UKIP.

  5. cortland

    Trust me, he said

    Oh, look over there!

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