The European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has welcomed the decision of the Council of the European Union to publish the EU negotiating directives for the on-going Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. She had opened an investigation in July, explaining why the Council should release the document.

Emily O'Reilly stated: "It's a good day for TTIP transparency. I am delighted to see that all Member States in the Council now share the view of many, that given the potential impact of TTIP on the lives of citizens, key documents, such as the negotiating directives, have to be published.

In this context, I commend the efforts of the Italian EU-Presidency, in particular, as well as the Parliament and Commission to see to it that citizens know what the EU negotiators have been asked to do in their name."

Investigation about TTIP transparency in the Commission is still on-going

In July 2014, the Ombudsman also suggested to the European Commission a range of practical measures to enable timely public access to TTIP documents, and to details of meetings with stakeholders. This was triggered by concerns about key documents not being disclosed, about delays, and about the alleged granting of privileged access to TTIP documents to certain stakeholders.

Her letter to the Commission is available at: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/cases/correspondence.faces/en/54633/html.bookmark

The Ombudsman has also launched a public consultation on how to achieve greater TTIP transparency. Contributions can be submitted until 31 October. More information is available at: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/cases/correspondence.faces/en/56100/html.bookmark