Uk Is Not A Signatory Of The 'Tromsø Convention'

[gl556tr]

As of 19/03/2022, the status of signatures and ratifications of the Tromsø Convention, CETS Treaty 205, shows no participation by the UK.

Does anybody know why this is the case?


(The Tromsø Convention is named as such after the Norwegian city where it was initially adopted. The official title is rather more long-winded!)

[davebro]

wotsit about?

[Gromit]

I assume that because we voted in 2016 to leave the EU, that we did not attend the convention, and we weren’t there to sign any agreement.

[Gromit]

davebro
// wotsit about? //

It is a form of freedom of information act, which we already have. The Council of Europe grant its citizens access to official Government documents.

[jno]

it's about freedom of access to official documents, so no wonder the UK isn't interested. Ukraine is part of it, along with north and east European countries; western Europe seems to be staying out of it.

[New Judge]

The Tromsø agreement has nothing to do with the EU. It is a Convention under the auspices of the Council of Europe, of which the UK is a member. There are 47 members of the Council of Europe and 27 - including the UK, France and Germany - have not signed or ratified the Convention.

[Gromit]

We already have the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000, so there is no need for us to sign this which just the same thing.

[Gromit]

I assume the countries that have not signed, already have legislation that allows access to official documents.

[THECORBYLOON]

What rights do folk have under the Convention compared to the Act?

[ToraToraTora]

jno: "it's about freedom of access to official documents, so no wonder the UK isn't interested. " - another knock from the 5C, we do have the right to access government documents now so get your facts right me old china.

[THECORBYLOON]

"we do have the right to access government documents now so get your facts right me old china."

Are you sure? Anyone can ask for access to or information from government documents
but that does not mean it must be granted.

[ABerrant]

For reference:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=treaty-detail&treatynum=205

The UK was active in negotiating the Tromsø Convention and worked to ensure that it did not go above the standard of the UK’s FOI law. The Convention’s drafters were also anxious to ensure it was capable of being accepted by the greatest number of Council of Europe member states, 40 out of 47 of which already had access to FOI legislation by 2009.

When the Convention came into effect the UK Government (New Labour - Gordon Brown) stated that it did not intend to sign the Convention for the foreseeable future and an official statement from the Ministry of Justice observed that “The UK's Freedom of Information legislation has been a success story, providing a regime for freedom of information that is among the most open and rigorous in the world. It already goes further than the standards of the Convention in a number of areas.”

Meanwhile, here is Tony Blair's thoughts on FOIA 2000
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/opensecrets/2010/09/why_tony_blair_thinks_he_was_a.html

[jno]

oh, sure you can ask, TTT but...

////In the first three months of 2018, 45% of FOI requests received by government departments were refused in full///

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/we-need-know-why-so-many-foi-requests-are-being-refused

Does that seriously sound like a goverment committed to freedom of access?

[New Judge]

////In the first three months of 2018, 45% of FOI requests received by government departments were refused in full///

Well to me that indicates that the UK and others were wise to avoid any supra-national legislation that could take its autonomy from them. If you enjoy your government's decisions being trumped by foreign administrations by all means encourage them to sign up to this sort of stuff. If you'd rather UK interests were served by the UK government then encourage them to steer well clear of such "international commitments." It is really the business of nobody outside the UK what information the UK government decides to reveal or conceal. We have legislation which covers such matters and that legislation is subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, it is enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office and disputes are settled by the judicial system.

I've seen quite a number of FOI requests and quite honestly some of them are ridiculous. I'm scarcely surprised that so many are declined - in fact I'm surprised that the percentage of refusals is not greater.