SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 21 Jan (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of the Presidency, Public Administrations, Justice and Security for the Government of the Canary Islands, Nieves Lady Barreto, disclosed on Tuesday her department’s initiative aimed at overhauling the regulatory framework governing Transparency and Citizen Participation within the Canary Islands, particularly in the public sector, to enhance citizen engagement in decision-making procedures.
During the opening of the ‘Transparency Conference: progress and challenges’, the councillor revealed that the initiative has already been made available for public consultation as an initial phase towards drafting a new legislative proposal.
“The existing Transparency laws and the Citizen Participation Law in the Canary Islands, established in 2010 and 2014 respectively, which were significant regulatory milestones at that time, have become antiquated over the years. While there have been notable advancements, it remains evident that we have not adequately ensured that the majority of citizens grasp the concept of citizen participation, its application, and the transparency mechanisms that are accessible to them. Furthermore, we need to incorporate the new technologies that have emerged in recent years, which present a vastly different landscape compared to ten years ago,” she emphasised.
Nieves Lady Barreto further explained that the Government’s goal is to merge these two regulations into a singular framework “to make meaningful progress and foster genuine interest among citizens not only in administrative decision-making but also in understanding the rationale behind those decisions.”
The ‘Transparency Days: progress and challenges’ also featured the general director of Transparency and Citizen Participation, Carmen Delia Alberto, who underscored the commitment made a decade ago to ensure that public management serves citizens, thus promoting principles such as accountability, access to information, and civic participation.
“This anniversary presents an opportunity not only to reflect on and assess the achievements obtained thus far but also to evaluate the challenges that remain as we strive to create a more transparent, fair, and participatory Canary Islands,” he stated.
COUNCIL OF STATE
The initial presentation was delivered by Lorenzo Cotino, a member of the Transparency Council of the Valencian Community, who discussed the fundamental aspects of effective transparency at the regional level.
Following this, the lawyer from the Council of State, Pilar Cuesta, spoke about the ‘Achievements and challenges regarding transparency and access to information in the Canary Islands’.
Miguel Ángel Blanes, legal technician for the Ombudsman of the Valencian Community, contemplated potential proposals for enhancing the Transparency law in the Canary Islands.
Subsequently, a discussion ensued reflecting on the decade of progress in transparency within the Canary Islands, featuring contributions from the Commissioner for Transparency and Access to Public Information, Noelia García, alongside Miguel Ángel Herrero, head of the Transparency Evaluation and Control service, and María Teresa Casanova, head of the Complaints and General Affairs service.
The session concluded with a round table addressing expectations for Canary Islands legislation concerning transparency, moderated by Roger Ulises Guillén, with contributions from José Miguel Hernández, Félix Sánchez, Luisa Gómez, and María Nivaria Ortega.
