Recognising the importance of access to information for safeguarding the transparency and good governance, and in order to foster collaboration between Moroccan and Spanish authorities on this area, the Council of Europe organised a study visit for the Moroccan Commission on the Right of Access to Information (CDAI) to Madrid.  

During the visit, the CDAI delegation met with representatives from Spain’s Council of Transparency and Good Governance, the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), and civil society organisations. These meetings provided an opportunity for capacity-building initiatives and facilitated peer-to-peer exchanges on access to information. Representatives of both states addressed shared challenges and explored innovative approaches to promoting transparency and accountability. Discussions also centered on balancing transparency and privacy, highlighting the interaction between these frameworks in practice.

This activity built upon discussions initiated during the regional event “Euro-Mediterranean Approaches on Access to Information”, held in Rabat this past April and highlights Morocco's dedication to advancing the effective exercise of this fundamental right enshrined in the Tromsø Convention. Organised under the joint Council of Europe and European Union initiative Protecting Human Rights, Rule of Law, and Democracy through Shared Standards in the Southern Mediterranean (South Programme V) and implemented by the Council of Europe’s Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression, the study visit offered the Moroccan delegation a valuable opportunity to strengthen and develop its cooperation with Spanish authorities.

By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing between Morocco and Spain, this study visit contributes to the broader objective of promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance across the Southern Mediterranean region.