Polish reporter claims EU not transparent

According to the Gazeta Prawna daily reporter, the EU's Europe Direct agency, which aims to ease citizens’ access to information, has failed to provide documents which he requested.

Parafinowicz said he had asked for a transcript of a European commissioners' meeting on December 20 and for the minutes of a vote in which the commissioners decided to launch the EU's Article 7 procedure against Poland.

He claimed that instead he was sent a link to the press conference that followed the meeting and two links to a statement issued a day earlier that listed Poland as an item of debate for the commissioners.

Parafinowicz claimed that the unprecedented decision to invoke Article 7, which could potentially lead to sanctions against Poland over allegations that it has violated the rule of law, was of “pan-European importance” but was not sensitive information, adding that “each citizen should have detailed information about it”. Poland's ruling conservatives have denied eroding democracy and the rule of law.

Parafinowicz said: “Questions addressed to Brussels are left unanswered while the European Commission emphatically demands explanations from everyone”.

Parafinowicz added that early in 2016 he was also denied access to a report which allegedly informed commissioners about the rule of law situation in Poland after the government in Warsaw made sweeping changes to the country’s Constitutional Tribunal. He claimed that he was later told that the report “basically did not exist”.

According to Europe Direct, all enquiries are answered within three business days.

A Europe Direct employee told Radio Poland that if someone was unsatisfied with a response they should contact the agency. (vb/pk)

Source: Gazeta Prawna