Walter Keim
Am Berg 22
D-73553 Alfdorf-Haselbach,
25.4.2002
E-mail: walter.keim@gmail.com
To the
Secretariat of the Committee on Petitions
European Parliament
Schumann Building
L-2929 LUXEMBOURG
Petition 80/2002: Freedom of Information (FOI) in member state
Germany
Sir,
petition 80/2002 is about freedom of information for Germany.
Please find the decision to vote against freedom of information
of the parliament of the Land of Baden-Württemberg enclosed:
http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition_bw.htm#antwort
I have commented the decision against freedom of information
here: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020424bw.htm
One of the reasons of the decision is that freedom of information
would cost too much for the state. Another reason is, that there
are few complaints
about the lack of freedom of information at the moment. (Does
this make sense? How should costs be high, if people at the
moment do not complain about the lack).
But how should Germans get to know about freedom of information,
if the Land Baden-Württemberg refuses to translate
recommendations of the Council of
Europe? The main reason these recommendations are not translated
is again costs.
Germany spends about 270 000 million (EURO) per year
for it's health system. According to the World
Health Report 2000 Germany has the most expensive health
system in the EU,
but is on rank 25
among industrial states looking at the quality of services.
Freedom of information is a human right according to UN: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/petition_un.htm
The lack of freedom of information shows that the acknowledgment
of human rights is just on paper: Article 1 (2) of the
constitution http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/gm00000_.html#A001_
not real.
Therefore I am preparing a constitutional complaint: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/v-klage_en.htm
I have asked the President of the EU Commission to consider to
activate plans from 1993 to give EU citizens freedom of
information in member
states: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/020418eu.htm
On of the poorest countries in Europe is Moldavia. Article 34 of
the constitution guaranties freedom of information, in Article 4
human rights are made part
of the legal system (if there is a conflict with domestic law,
human rights are higher) and in Article 23, the state has
the duty to publish these
rights: http://www.ifes.md/constitution/
Sincerely,
Walter Keim
Am Berg 22
D-73553 Alfdorf-Haselbach
E-mail: walter.keim@gmail.com
Support Freedom of Information: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/foil.htm#e-mail
Support Patients' Rights: http://wkeim.bplaced.net/patients.htm#e-mail
Copy: President of the EU Commission, EU Council, UNHCR-Special Rapporteur
Freedom
of information came 1766 to
Sweden, 1951
to Finland, 1966
to den USA and 1970 to
Norway. In 1981 the Council of Europe gave "Recommendation
No. R (81) 19" on the access to information held by
public authorities. Since then both EU and nearly all countries
in the EU and Europe adopted such laws. However citizen rights in
member states vary and there are no minimum standards. In order
to keep up with the international development freedom of
information should be strengthened in EU member states.
Support Freedom of Information, by
the following E-Mail to the European Commission (click here):
I support the call to the
European Commission and Council for democratic and accountable
Freedom of Information laws on access to public documents in EU
and member states.
(You may change the text according to your needs).
Thanks to all who have given comments and contributed to improve
this petition. Please do not hesitate to mail
me if you have comments.
Please feel free to link this site!
Visitor No. since 25.4.2002
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