The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee has approved a report written by Labour MEP Michael Cashman which seeks to open EU institutions to public scrutiny and extend the rights of European citizens to access EU documents.

The committee backed Cashman’s amendments to draft public access legislation by 33 votes to 17. The changes seek to improve transparency, accountability and democracy within EU institutions and they will now be considered at next month’s Strasbourg Plenary, when the Parliament will vote on the proposed legislation.

Michael, who has spent the last ten years fighting to open up EU institutions, said: “What we are talking about is a right that allows citizens to make sure that we are accountable; parliamentarians accountable for what we do in their name, the Commission for what it does in their name, and, equally, the Council of Ministers."