The second vice president and in charge of the transparency folder in Parliament, the socialist Assumpta Escarphas exposed these three lines of action during the meeting of the governing body of the Chamber. And also the majority of groups, which recognize deficits in this matter despite the fact that the code of conduct considers it a serious infraction and provides for sanctions, have picked up the gauntlet.
“We have asked that the elements of difficulty and agility be analyzed in order to comply and that the Chamber not continue with this abnormal situation“, explained the PSC spokesperson, Alicia Romero, which has pointed out that one of the main difficulties is for entities to register as interest groups. And it is that, despite the approval of the law in 2014, no control mechanisms have been established to act in case of non-compliance.
Alícia Romero (PSC): “We have asked that the elements of difficulty and agility be analyzed in order to comply and that the Chamber not continue with this anomalous situation”
“We are committed to improving the publication and fulfilling the obligation we have as public servants,” said the ERC spokesperson, marta vilaltawho has ensured that his party “is aware” that an “ambitious” transparency law is not being applied correctly and that is why it is necessary to draw everyone’s attention. “There is no bad faith”, he has insisted. And it is that, as in the case of the Socialists, ERC points out the registration of interest groups as the biggest stumbling block, as well as a computer system that they describe as cumbersome. In any case, they ensure that their deputies try to keep their schedule of activities updated beyond the Transparency Portalwhere the meetings with the ‘lobbies’ must be registered.
Updating the ‘lobbies’ registry
“Sure we have possibilities for improvementwe assume it”, the Comuns also maintain, who hide, however, in that theirs is one of the ones that “most up-to-date” has its public agenda outside said portal. In the same vein as their counterparts, the spokesman for the cluster, David Cid, has pointed out that the meetings often take place with organizations that are not accredited as ‘lobbies’. “We do not have no interest in hiding who we meet with and who we don’t, we are in favor of maximum transparency”, he defended.
Laia Estrada (CUP): “I don’t know if it’s an oversight, but they also have informal dinners that leave no trace”
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The recognition of the deficit in the transparency of the agendas is transversal. “It should be done, the law obliges. I don’t know if it is an oversight, but also informal dinners are made that leave no trace We all have to do our homework,” said the CUP deputy laia estrada. And on behalf of Ciutadans, the spokesperson, Nacho Martin White, has argued that the lack of publicity of the agendas is a debate that the deputies “have to face as managers of democracy”. It is not, she has said, a question of “bad faith”, if not of “habit”.
From this first call of attention to the parliamentary groups, Escarp’s intention is to address in the coming months the information access circuits with the pertinent computer changes, as well as suggest that the code of conduct acquires the rank of regulation so that it is dissuasive and all the deputies assume that the obligations of transparency must be complied with.