Alexander Fanta
So proud to announce this 😁😁😁 - today, journalists from three media organizations – Follow the Money, EUobserver and Investigate Europe – are launching a new newsletter to expose the lack of transparency within the European Union.
We call it the Secrecy Tracker. Why we are doing this now?
The European Commission tends to treat transparency like a decoration – nice to look at, but not for actual use.
Under President von der Leyen, things have gotten worse.
Alexander Fanta
But we’re not here to just point out what’s going wrong. We’ll also spotlight wins, sharing cases where journalists were able to bring important public interest stories to light based on documents obtained through requests. We'll track all things EU transparency.
Alexander Fanta
So, where can I follow this?, you might ask.
Here's the brand news first edition, hot off the press: https://ftm.eu/secrecy-tracker-what-the-eu-is-hiding
In the link there's a signup for our newsletters. We'll be out bi-monthly. Watch this space.🤓🥸🧐
Alexander Fanta
The state of transparency is untenable.
The EU's own watchdog, the Ombudsman, agrees: “It’s almost as if Regulation 1049 [the EU’s transparency law] doesn’t exist.”
“It seems to us that if the Commission doesn’t want to release a document, for whatever reason, it simply won’t.”
Alexander Fanta
And it's not just the Commission. In the EU Treaty, the Council is meant to become a sort of Senate, a co-legislator. But the Council still makes its laws in secret, openly flaunting its obligation to proactively publish documents on its deliberations.
This is unacceptable.
Alexander Fanta
Our goal is simple: to track and call out the EU’s transparency gaps. This isn’t about ticking legal boxes: access to information is a basic right for all Europeans.
When institutions fall short on this, it’s not just journalists who lose out – it’s all of us.
Remember, transparency isn’t a bonus feature: it’s essential for holding EU institutions to account. This is about more than journalists pushing for answers; it’s about making sure these institutions serve the people they represent.
Alexander Fanta
Think of the 723 billion euro Covid recovery fund. Where did the money go?
Think of the time a Commissioner got hacked with Pegasus. Who did the job?
Think of the Commissioner who stayed at luxury hotels in Gulf autocracies. Who footed the bill?
Think of von der Leyen's text messages with the CEO of Pfizer. What did they agree about vaccines?
Frank
@fantafanta @sl007 Also, simply an RSS feed would be much appreciated. Or am I missing something? Privacy PoV for RSS: I don't need to give you my email and you don't need to keep it safe, no possible leakage of PII and no basis for sending you GDPR requests 😉
Alexander Fanta
@sl007 Nice, thanks. I flagged it to our team.
Sebastian Lasse
if you do not find enough people still using email or maybe want to serve also people younger than you, you can find many Open-Source bridges from email to the worlds leading federated social protocol …
https://github.com/Kansattica/FediMail
jarek
Also, I would love to subscribe and give you money, but you MUST disclose your legal organisation structure. There is enough shady business, often Russian trolls and US lobbyists, working hard to undermine EU institutions.
Make it transparent who you are (not just authors).
Address.
Incorporation.
Company registration.
Your privacy policy.
Currently not to be found at https://www.ftm.eu/about-ftm
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