Dataharvest 2026 - the European Investigative Journalism Conference

The European Union promises openness in its decision-making. But, despite this commitment, the European Commission and the Member States recently blocked transparency around key decisions on public spending and legislative proposals. Moreover, the Commission tightened its internal rules to limit freedom of information. These obstacles to transparency have hampered reporting on how the EU spent billions of euros of its post-COVID recovery fund and military aid for Ukraine.

The official veil of secrecy also restricts investigations into topics such as the EU's fight against Big Tech, the rollback of environmental laws, or human rights violations at the EU's external borders.

How can journalists push back against this reduction in transparency? This panel will discuss the mounting challenges for journalists covering the European Union, and how to fight back against the rising tide of opaqueness.