FOI Requests as a Research Tool
Access to EU Documents and the Role of the European Ombudsman
The second webinar in this series on Freedom of Information requests in social research will focus on accountability mechanisms and EU access to documents.
The right to access documents held by EU institutions allows citizens to hold the EU administration to account and to better participate in the EU's democratic process. The European Ombudsman can serve as a redress mechanism for those who have faced difficulties exercising this right. In his presentation, Markus Spoerer, policy Adviser to the European Ombudsman, will give an introduction to the right to access to EU documents and illustrate the role of the European Ombudsman in EU transparency.
For the second half of the webinar, we will be joined by Vicky Cann, researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory, who will provide a brief reflection before we open for a discussion with the audience.
Speakers
Markus Spörer is a Policy Advisor to the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly. He advises the Ombudsman on policy developments, external strategy and relations with the European Parliament.
Vicky Cann is a campaigner and researcher with the Brussels-based NGO Corporate Europe Observatory. She works primarily on issues related to business lobbying in the context of European Union policymaking.