​Transparency and Good Governance Committee set up to ensure proper development and application of the law

The Transparency and Good Governance Act provides for the Transparency Council as an independent public body aimed at promoting transparency in public activity, ensuring compliance with obligations on publicity, safeguarding the exercise of rights on access to public information and guaranteeing the provisions of good governance.

By regulating the composition of this Council, the law also points to the Committee and the Chair as its two governing bodies. Following the appointment of its members, the committee was set up on Monday and held its first meeting.

Transparency and Good Governance Committee

The Transparency and Good Governance Committee set up on Monday has the following duties, among others: to advise on matters of transparency, access to public information and good governance, as well as to offer guidelines, practices, activities, meetings and mechanisms for collaboration on transparency, access to public information and good governance.

The Transparency and Good Governance Committee is made up by the Chair of the Council, Ester Arizmendi, and the following members: Pilar Cortés, Member of the Lower House of Parliament for the PP; Jokim Bildarratz, Member of the Upper House for the PNV; María José de la Fuente, from the Court of Auditors; José Manuel Sánchez Saudinós, from the Ombudsman; Agustín Puente, from the Data Protection Agency; María Pía Junquera, from the State Secretariat of Public Administration Services; and José Luis Martínez Almeida, from the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility. Francisco Javier Amorós, Deputy Director-General for Transparency and Good Governance, acts as Committee Secretary.

Backing from Parliament and the Government of Spain for the Transparency Council

At the event, both Pío García Escudero, the Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament - where the event was held - and Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, the Vice-President of the Government, highlighted the importance of the Transparency Act, which radically changes how public managers act and opens up their work to the public eye, so that it may be known, followed and assessed by the people.

In turn, the Chair of the Transparency Council, Ester Arizmendi, underlined the vitally important change in relations between the public administration services and the general public represented by this new law, as said services must now respond to any request for information that does not enter into conflict with other protected interests.

Transparency Act and Council

The Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance Act, approved in December 2013, has led to a major step forward on the three issues it seeks to regulate. Promoted by the Government of Spain, the law is intended to fill an existing legislative gap - unlike the situation in the majority of EU countries.

As regards access to information, it was necessary to overcome certain limitations that had existed until now and, in terms of good governance, existing principles were incorporated into a legal instrument with the status of a law to be accompanied by a regime of penalties.

In turn, the Council will ensure compliance with the law and aim to meet targets on participation in the process to draft regulations on its development, as well as collaborate with regional governments and local authorities and promote social awareness, training and the creation of forums for debate. Furthermore, the Council will be required to respond to claims and inquiries made by the general public regarding the right to access and will exchange experiences with other authorities, organisations and States within Spain's peer group.