EU Transparency Concerns Pose Challenges for the Gambling Sector
EU authorities are facing an avalanche of criticism over transparency issues, with repercussions that could ripple across various sectors, including the gambling industry. Recent events underscore the urgent need for better access to info and clearer communication from EU bodies.
Top Highlights:
- European journalists are clamoring for more access to EU documents, which impacts reporting on different industries, like gambling.
- Malta's new gaming law provides a protective shield to local operators from foreign court decisions, sparking EU legal concerns.
- The European Commission's handling of transparency requests earns them flak from various quarters.
Scrutiny Torments Journalists over EU Doc Access
In an open letter to Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, a band of Brussels journalists voiced their concerns over limited access to documents and slow response times. This opacity impedes their ability to report on various sectors, including gambling where prompt info is crucial to understand regulatory shifts and market trends.
The letter implores the Commission to adhere to transparency principles set out in EU treaties and the Fundamental Rights Charter. Journalists advocate for enhanced access to legislative papers to enrich their reporting on lobbying activities and law-making processes relevant to industries like online gambling and land-based gaming operations.
Malta's Controversial Gaming Act: A Double-Edged Sword?
In June 2023, Malta passed bill 55, a law that guards local gaming companies against compliance with court rulings from other EU nations. This legislation potentially keeps EU citizens from claiming repayments worth hundreds of millions of euros.
The European Commission's passive stance has fueled suspicions of industry interference. Legal experts, including former ECJ Advocate General Miguel Poaires Maduro, contend that Malta's law breaches EU single-market principles. The episode stirs up concerns about why the Commission seems to have consistently shielded the gambling industry's interests.
European Commission in Hot Water over Document Access
The Commission's handling of access to document requests has raised eyebrows in numerous cases. One notable instance involves EUobserver's three-year battle to obtain information about EU operations in Libya. The Commission's responses were marked by extensive redactions and acknowledgments of ignorance regarding the use of EU-funded equipment.
Another instance revolves around the Commission's interpretation of what constitutes a 'document,' particularly in relation to text messages sent by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. This interpretation could reshape transparency standards for communication relevant to diverse industries, including the gambling sector.
Court Cases and Parliamentary Woes
Transparency crusader Emilio De Capitani is set to take the Council of the European Union to court over access to legislative documents. The case, scheduled for a hearing on April 30, could set a precedent for how EU institutions handle information requests across all sectors.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament grapples with its own transparency issues in a harassment case involving a former MEP. The parliament's refusal to share an anti-harassment committee report with victims has drawn criticism from the EU General Court, pointing to broader accountability issues within EU institutions.
With transparency issues persisting, their resolution could have significant consequences for the way EU decision-making information, including matters relating to the gambling industry, is disseminated in the future.
Background:
Recent audits and reports shed light on the enduring challenges in EU institutions' transparency, with particular focus on funding to NGOs. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) issued a special report in April 2025, revealing persistent issues with transparency despite some advancements.
NGOs received approximately €7.4 billion between 2021 and 2023 in significant policy areas, but the transparency surrounding how these funds are allocated and utilized remains obscure. The ECA report points out flaws in the EU Transparency Register and interinstitutional agreements that weaken effective transparency, especially concerning lobbying activities linked to EU policymaking.
Despite the Commission's resistance to increasing administrative burdens for NGOs, the watchdog notes that the EU's professed commitment to transparency seems more superficial than tangible, stressing the importance of accurate, reliable information for credible NGO participation in policymaking.
Beyond NGOs, persistent calls for improved transparency persist in permanent representations to the EU, emphasizing the requirement for good governance and open access to information across EU bodies. Although no specific, up-to-date information on transparency specifically related to the gambling industry was found in the current reports, the overall context suggests ongoing challenges in accessing comprehensive and trustworthy EU documents in areas influenced by lobbying.
- European journalists, in an open letter to Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, expressed their concerns about limited access to EU documents, particularly in the gambling industry, as it impedes their ability to promptly report on regulatory shifts and market trends.
- Malta's new gaming law, which offers local gaming companies protection from foreign court decisions, has raised EU legal concerns, potentially denying EU citizens hundreds of millions of euros in repayments and fueling suspicions of industry interference.
- The European Commission has faced criticism for its handling of transparency requests, evidenced by extended response times and extensive redactions, as seen in cases like EUobserver's three-year battle to obtain information about EU operations in Libya.
- As the European Parliament struggles with its own transparency issues in a harassment case involving a former MEP, there are ongoing calls for improved transparency across all EU institutions, with potential ramifications for diverse sectors, such as the gambling industry.
