The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday joined 15 media outlets, journalist associations and press freedom organizations in urging the European Commission to improve journalists’ access to its documents, warning that delays were harming public debate across Europe.
In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the groups said the Commission was obstructing journalists’ access to documents they need to scrutinize matters of public importance. Journalists face severe delays, denials on questionable grounds, or only receive texts that have been heavily redacted, the letter said. The signatories included a series of recommendations designed to make access easier and faster and the system itself more transparent and accountable.
“The European Commission’s reputation for safeguarding EU democratic values is in peril. At a time when democratic norms are under attack around the world, now is the time to uphold these values,” the letter said.
The full text of the letter can be found here.