EU ministers have been asked to approve new regulations that would grant the public the right of access to documents held by Euratom. The documents would be in a historical archive of material that is at least 30 years old.

The system is based on a 2001 regulation on the general principles and the limits governing the public’s right of access to EU documents, and should widen public access to information on contracts concluded by the Euratom Supply Agency and documents and records of cases submitted for judgment to the European Court of Justice.

Material already officially labelled “confidential” is unlikely to be derestricted.