FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND OPEN GOVERNMENT - THE EUROPEAN-COMMUNITY UNION DIMENSION

While the UK government has faced increasing pressure to introduce fre edom of information legislation, freedom of information and open gover nment are becoming crucial questions in relation to the operation of t he European Community and European Union. The European Community and U nion are under growing pressure to make themselves more open and ''tra nsparent'' in their operations, and recent reforms have allowed greate r access to Community documents by individuals. However, these reforms have left many questions unanswered, or even unaddressed, and the who le subject of national parliaments and their right to Community and Un ion documents is unresolved. What is emerging is a very difficult and complex set of relationships which must be addressed if the European C ommunity and Union are to maintain credibility as democratic instituti ons among member states and their citizens. The author believes that a chieving greater openness at the European level is vital if the Commun ity and Union are to succeed.