Open Government and The EU: From Commitments to Action

This report was published in 2017, but the contents and recommendations are relevant today. We have been asked by partners to add it to our site once again.

Governments cannot rely on public support – they must earn it. In an age of individualism, scepticism and growing nativist populism, they need to prove their legitimacy every day. The EU institutions lack the immediacy of local government, which can change things at the end of your street. They lack the deep social and historical roots of national governments. They therefore need to build legitimacy through their actions. In part this means effectiveness - being seen to take action that benefits citizens and communities. Equally important is openness - that the action taken is transparent, that institutions are accountable and people feel able to involve themselves in decisions that affect their lives.

This report is about openness. It looks at current open government initiatives, at the international Open Government Partnership (OGP) and the experiences of three member states. It makes recommendations on how the EU could better celebrate its current open government work, and go further by working with the OGP, and building a new support network for open government in Brussels and beyond.

Further Information

Check out the Open Governance Network for Europe, created as one response to these recommendations.

This report was created by Democratic Society in partnership with the following partners:

We do not support Internet Explorer. Please use a modern browser for a better experience.