"Access to documents is a citizens’ important right. With this consultation, we kick-start talks on the best way to assert such right". Margot Wallström, deputy president of the EU Commission in charge of institutional relations and communication strategies, presents the Green Paper with which the Executive will be kick-starting Europe-wide talks about the regulations, that have been in force for five years, about public access to the laws and documents of the EU Parliament, the EU Council and the EU Commission. "This consultation according to the Swedish MEP is a new step forward in the strategy for more openness, which was started by the Transparency policy launched by the EU Commission in November 2005". The Green Paper summarises the applicable regulations for public access to documents and lists "a few options to improve the system in order to make sure the citizens will have better, easier access to the documents of the three EU institutions and agencies". The raised issues include a priority question: "How to ensure a proper balance between the need for transparency and the need of protecting personal details, the economic and commercial interests and the principle of good governance?".
