Statewatch press release, 14 September 2002

US GOVERNMENT VETOES STATEWATCH REQUEST FOR ACCESS TO EU-US AGENDAS

- Council of European Union says it has no choice but to back US veto
- Refusal of access follows two successful complaints to the European
Ombudsman
- Decision would exclude from access any document on international policy
vetoed by third parties

The US government has vetoed a request by Statewatch to the Council of the
European Union (the 15 EU governments) for access to copies of the agendas
of the "Senior Level Group" and the "EU-US Task Force". The Council has
says it has no option but to deny access. The agendas cover a wide range
of
global issues including polcing and immigration, trade and aid.

Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor comments:

"This decision confirms our worst fears on the implementation of the new
Regulation on public access to EU documents, namely that third states or
organisations will have an absolute right to veto access by EU citizens to
documents which third parties have authored, or co-authored, and which are
the basis of, or an influence on, EU decision-making.

If this decision stands it will remove whole swathes of documents from
public scrutiny on all aspects of international policy making and practice
and yet again undermine democratic standards and accountability. We have
lodged an appeal against the Council's decision and will, if necessary,
take the issue to the European Ombudsman or the Court of Justice."

In July last year - after a four year fight and two successful complaints
to the European Ombudsman - Statewatch finally obtained the agendas ten
EU-US high-level planning meetings between September 1996 and February
1998. The agendas concern meetings of the "Senior Level Group" and the
"EU-US Task Force" set up under the New Transatlantic Agenda agreed in
1995.

The full report is on:



Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, will be attending a press conference at
the European Parliament in Strasbourg at 5pm on Monday 14 September on the
subject of EU openness