The Provincial Council of Bizkaia approves the draft provincial regulation on Transparency

The Provincial Council of Bizkaia has approved, at the Government Council, the draft Provincial Regulation on Transparency, which provides for a transparency management model which includes a triennial transparency plan, an annual report and a technical claims commission.

This project will be completed with the future Provincial Regulation on integrity, conflict of interest prevention and incompatibilities and, with both, “further progress will be made in two of the strategic elements of the Provincial Council: transparency and good governance”.

The draft Provincial Regulation on Transparency comprises 41 articles which are divided into 5 titles, which, in addition to the general provisions in Title I, provide for active publicity, the right of access to public information, competent bodies on transparency and claims resolution, and transparency promotion and guarantees. It also provides for collaborative transparency, which has to do with the open data model and with citizen participation processes. The aim of this draft Provincial Regulation is to “make transparency effective and guarantee it”, both in the Provincial Council of Bizkaia itself as well as in the autonomous bodies, foundations, associations and any other organizations in the provincial public sector.

As recorded in the recitals of the draft Regulation, it seeks to ensure that the citizens of Bizkaia have as much knowledge as possible on what the Provincial Council and its provincial bodies do, how they perform their duties and how they use their resources.

The aim is to “respond to demands for greater control and accountability” with regard to the performance of the administration by citizens, as well as “promote interaction with citizens and active listening”.

AN ADVANCED REGULATION

With the approval of the draft Provincial Regulation on Transparency, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia positions the Territory as one of the “most avant-garde” on this matter in the State, since the Provincial Regulation of Bizkaia goes beyond the minimum requirements provided in State Act 19/2013 on transparency, access to public information and good governance.

With regard to active publicity matters, the draft Regulation includes the dissemination of information in seven spheres: institutional information, legal-regulatory information, economic-financial information, information on public management, on sectoral policies, on public employment and general information.

CLAIMS COMMISSION

As for the regulation of claims, it provides for the creation of a claims commission on transparency, made up of civil servants with a technical-legal profile, which guarantees impartiality and objectivity in its actions.

Finally, it is expected that the Provincial Regulation on Transparency will be edited in a reader friendly version so as to simplify administrative language and make information accessible and understandable for all.

COLLABORATIVE TRANSPARENCY

In addition to active publicity, which implies the proactive dissemination of relevant public information and the citizens’ right of access to public information, the draft Provincial Regulation on Transparency has another key element: collaborative transparency.

This concept comprises the open data model, its reutilization as well as the use of transparency platforms to implement processes encouraging citizen participation in boosting, devising or evaluating public policies.