41
Dieter Schlenker1
OPEN ARCHIVES FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE
RESEARCH IN WIDENING COUNTRIES 
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Abstract
Purpose: Archives play a key role in social sciences research by providing ac-
cess to primary sources of public and private organisations, and individuals. 
Method/approach: A research project of archivists and scholars was launched 
in 2024 at the European University Institute to analyse access conditions of pub-
lic archives in Widening Countries, the Western Balkans and Eastern Partner-
ship Countries.
Results: Two workshops were organised, one on 6 September during the Annual 
Graduate Conference on the history of European integration at the European 
University Institute, and one during the 34th International Archival Day Confer-
ence organised by the International Institute of Archival Science IIAS in Maribor, 
Slovenia, on 26-27 November 2024. The first workshop was dedicated to a discus-
sion amongst scholars of European integration history, and the latter workshop 
was attended by archivists of public archival institutions.
Conclusion/findings: The research papers presented and discussed during the 
two workshops provided an up-to-date overview on legal provisions and practice 
in providing access to public archives in EU Widening Countries, the Western 
Balkans and Eastern Partnership Countries. Based on the research results and 
as a follow-up to the investigation, the project team intends to formulate potential 
elements for a training programme curriculum for archivists on the principles of 
access to archives in Europe.
Key words: Open Archives, European Union, Archives, Social Science Research
1	 Director,	Historical	Archives	 of	 the	 European	Union,	 European	University	 Institute,	 Florence,	 Italy,	 assistant	
professor	at	the	AMEU	ECM	and	member	of	the	IIAS,	email:	dieter.schlenker@eui.eu.	
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INTRODUCTION
Archives	in	the	European	Union	play	a	key	role	for	academic	research	in	social	
sciences.	They	preserve	primary	sources	produced	by	public	and	private	institu-
tions	and	shape	research	by	making	these	sources	available	and	accessible.	They	
provide	open,	equal	and	inclusive	access	to	historical	documents	in	custody	ac-
cording	to	common	principles	formulated	by	international,	European	and	national	
archival	law,	reinvigorated	by	codes	of	ethics	and	declarations	of	the	profession.	
They	also	play	a	key	role	in	transparency	and	accountability	of	public	adminis-
tration	by	preserving	and	giving	access	to	trustworthy	and	authentic	records	and	
by	responding	to	the	citizens’	right	to	freedom	of	information.
In	the	aftermath	of	the	1989	events	in	Europe	and	the	following	political	transfor-
mation	of	Central	and	Eastern	Europe	from	the	previous	Soviet	regime	towards	
democratization,	an	intense	discussion	began	in	the	European	Union	about	the	
ethical	foundations	and	the	mission	of	Archives	in	democratic	societies.	The	po-
litical	change	did	not	immediately	lead	to	overall	modernization	of	the	legal	and	
regulatory	framework	for	archival	practice.	These	processes	were	long-term	and	
are	today	still	unfinished.	Archives	in	Europe,	and	in	particular	in	EU	Widening	
Countries,	have	diverse	legislation	and	practice	on	access	to	archives.
In	2024,	the	European	University	Institute	launched	a	research	project	under	its	
Alcide	De	Gasperi	Research	Centre	 to	analyse	 the	accessibility	conditions,	re-
search	experience,	and	levels	of	education	and	training	of	archivists	and	scholars	
on	the	right	to	access	public	archives	in	EU	Widening	Countries.	The	inter-dis-
ciplinary	project	involves	both,	archivists	and	scholars.	Two	workshops	were	or-
ganized	 to	 discuss	 access	 conditions	 in	 public	 archives	 and	 draw	 conclusions	
from	the	analysis.	A	round-table	discussion	took	place	for	historians	of	European	
integration	during	the	Annual	Graduate	Conference	on	the	History	of	European	
Integration	at	the	European	University	Institute	on	6	September	2024,	while	two	
workshop	sessions	were	held	for	archivists	during	the	34th International Archi-
val	Day	Conference,	organized	by	the	International	Institute	of	Archival	Science	
IIAS	in	Maribor,	Slovenia,	on	26-27	November	2024.
The	research	on	archival	legislation	and	practice	in	Widening	Countries	analyses	
the	ethical	principle	of	open	archives	as	key	element	of	transparency	and	account-
ability	of	public	governance,	as	called	for	in	the	Council	of	Europe’s	Recommen-
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dation	R	(2000)13	on	a	European	policy	on	access	to	archives,	the	EU	Archives	
Regulation	354/83	and	the	EU’s	Access	to	Document	Regulation	1049/2001.	The	
research	project	 also	voices	 the	 insights	 of	 archival	 professionals	 in	Widening	
Countries in facilitating access to primary sources for social science research.
1. THE CONTEXT FOR ACCESS TO ARCHIVES
As	integral	part	of	public	administration,	archives	work	in	the	service	of	society	
and	citizens.	By	preserving	and	making	available	records	on	the	decision-making	
processes	of	public	institutions,	they	shape	democratic	societies	and	secure	the	
common	memory	of	societies.	Within	 the	European	Union,	strong	and	diverse	
archival	traditions	exist	in	the	member	states.	At	the	same	time,	common	ethical,	
procedural	and	technical	principles	have	evolved	through	cooperation	and	har-
monization	initiatives	that	secure	a	rights-based	approach	on	access	to	archives.	
Open	and	equal	access	to	archives	has	become	a	key	element	of	the	EU’s	demo-
cratic	governance	model	of	transparency	and	accountability.	Already	in	1966,	the	
international	archival	professionals,	gathered	in	the	Extraordinary	ICA	Congress	
in	Washington,	had	issued	the	first	international	declaration	on	free	access	to	ar-
chives.	In	1968,	the	ICA	Conference	in	Madrid	called	for	a	general	limitation	of	
access	restrictions	for	30	years	(Valge,	2007,	195–198).	In	1996,	the	ICA	agreed	
on	a	common	Code	of	Ethics	on	access	to	archives,	and	15	years	later,	in	2011,	
UNESCO	published	its	Universal	Declaration	on	archives	and	their	role	in	dem-
ocratic societies.
Following	the	events	of	1989	in	Europe	and	other	regions	of	the	world,	the	dem-
ocratic	transformation	and	the	principles	of	access	to	archives	became	relevant	
topics	for	 the	international	archival	profession.	In	1993,	 the	ICA	conference	in	
Mexico	established	an	expert	group	on	archives	of	former	repressive	regimes	to	
develop	recommendations	on	archival	access	for	countries	in	process	of	democ-
ratisation	(Quintana,	1997,	3).	The	expert	group	followed	the	idea	that:	“Archives	
have	a	decisive	influence	on	the	lives	of	people.	Nothing	serves	as	a	better	ex-
ample	of	 this	 than	 the	way	 in	which	documents	are	used	 to	 serve	 the	ends	of	
repression”	 (Quintana,	1997,	6).	Access	 to	 the	archives	of	 repression	was	con-
sidered	key	for	 individual	rights	 to	reparation	and	compensation,	restitution	of	
confiscated	goods,	 amnesty	 for	political	 crimes	committed	during	 the	 regime,	
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and	indemnity	for	victims	and	families.	As	precondition	to	access,	the	experts	
considered	 the	 requirement	 of	 securing	 archival	 holdings	 from	 destruction.	A	
primary	example	was	the	determination	of	the	people	in	the	German	Democratic	
Republic	in	the	aftermath	of	the	Fall	of	the	Berlin	Wall	to	preserve	the	archives	
of	the	State	Secret	Service	STASI,	which	was	later	used	to	purge	the	responsible	
of	 the	 former	 regime	 from	 the	new	administration	and	 to	compensate	victims	
(Quintana,	1997,	6–7).	
The	 experts	 also	 claimed	 that	 these	 archives	 would	 need	 to	 be	 immediately	
placed	under	the	new	law	and	under	the	authority	of	the	democratic	government,	
and	ultimately	be	kept	in	dedicated	archival	institutions.	New	archival	legislation	
should	cover	the	right	of	free	access,	the	decision	on	consultation	by	third	parties,	
and	the	right	to	obtain	files	of	repressive	agents.	Moreover,	a	code	of	ethics	should	
be	established	for	the	archivists	to	preserve	the	integrity	of	the	documentation,	to	
serve	the	people	and	grant	free	public	access	(Quintana,	1997,	12–13).	The	princi-
ples	of	access	to	archives	defined	by	the	expert	group	triggered	the	preparation	of	
the	International	Council	on	Archives’	Code	of	Ethics,	published	in	1996,	which	
confirmed	the	public’s	right	of	access	to	archives	of	public	bodies	on	equal	and	
fair	 terms,	 and	claimed	 that	both	public	 and	private	entities	 should	open	 their	
archives	to	the	greatest	extent	possible.	Archivists	should	pro-actively	participate	
in	the	decision-making	processes	on	access	to	archives.	Any	access	restrictions	
should	be	clear,	of	stated	duration	and	based	on	law	with	the	possibility	for	appeal	
to	a	denial	of	access	(ICA,	2012,	8–11).
2. ACCESS TO ARCHIVES IN EUROPE
In	Central	and	Eastern	Europe,	the	protection,	preservation	and	opening	of	ar-
chives	during	the	years	of	democratic	transformation	was	important	for	restoring	
the	rule	of	law	and	for	protecting	the	rights	of	victims	(Kecskeméti	&	Székely,	
2005,	10).	The	Council	of	Europe	and	the	European	Union	supported	this	transi-
tion	with	the	Resolution	of	the	Council	of	the	European	Union	in	1993	calling	for	
a	group	of	experts	to	report	on	the	situation	of	public	archives	in	the	European	
Union	with	the	Council	of	Europe	Recommendation	R	(2000)13	on	a	European	
policy	on	access	 to	archives,	 and	with	another	EU	Council	 resolution	 in	2003	
calling	for	a	report	of	an	expert	group	on	public	archives	in	the	enlarged	Europe-
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an	Union.	Moreover,	during	this	period,	the	European	Union	formalised	the	cit-
izens’	right	to	access	to	public	records	in	its	Freedom	of	Information	Regulation	
1049/2001.	The	EU	also	raised	the	protection	of	personal	data	in	public	records,	
first	with	Regulation	45/2001,	then	in	2016	with	the	General	Data	Protection	Reg-
ulation	2016/679.	Finally,	the	EU	strengthened	the	archival	cooperation	amongst	
National	Archives	and	EU	institutions	with	 the	establishment	of	 the	European	
Archives	Group	in	2004.
Under	the	communist	regimes,	human	rights	had	been	seriously	violated	in	Cen-
tral	 and	 Eastern	 Europe.	 During	 the	 democratic	 transformation,	 the	 archives	
changed	 from	 an	 instrument	 of	 power	 towards	 a	 service	 to	 citizens	 and	 civil	
society.	The	main	question	after	1989	revolved	around	the	redressing	of	the	vic-
tims	and	their	right	 to	know	the	truth.	The	access	 to	 the	files	of	former	secret	
services	was,	 therefore,	 a	 crucial	 precondition	 to	 the	 restoration	 of	 individual	
rights,	the	right	to	privacy,	the	public	and	judicial	interest,	and	finally	the	schol-
arly	 research	 interest	 (Gruodyte,	2015,	151–152;	CoE,	2006,	14).	Two	different	
approaches	were	chosen,	either	the	provision	of	full	access	(e.g.	Bulgaria,	Czech	
Republic,	Germany	and	Slovakia)	or	that	of	limited	access	(e.g.	Estonia,	Hungary,	
Latvia,	Lithuania,	Poland	and	Romania)	(Gruodyte,	2015,	155).	In	Germany,	dur-
ing	January	1990,	civil	society	activists	occupied	the	State	Secret	Service	(Stasi)	
headquarters	to	hold	officials	from	shredding	evidence	when	already	up	to	16,000	
mail	sacks	were	piling	up	full	of	shredded	documents.	The	GDR	government	in-
tended	to	destroy	the	files	to	avoid	politically	motivated	revenge	and	the	use	of	the	
files	by	Western	State	Security	Services.	When	various	leaks	of	politicians	with	
Stasi	past,	as	well	as	untrue	allegations	of	collaboration	against	activists	went	to	
the	press,	the	Eastern	German	Parliament	decided	in	favour	of	opening	the	files	
to	the	victims	and	using	them	to	uncover	the	truth.	It	placed	the	archival	custody	
under	the	Parliament	and	the	Federal	Commissioner	Joachim	Gauck	(Danielson,	
2004,	176–180).
The	Council	of	Europe	in	Strasbourg	got	active	in	1992,	organising	for	November	
1994,	in	cooperation	with	the	European	Board	of	the	International	Council	on	Ar-
chives,	the	first	conference	of	directors	of	National	Archives.	It	then	established	
an	Archives	Assistance	Programme	for	democratic	transition	and	prepared	draft	
recommendations	on	access	to	archives,	which	were	published	in	1997.	The	rec-
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ommendations	called	for	equal	access,	short	closure	periods,	accountability,	rule	
of	 law	 and	 privacy,	 improved	 preservation	 conditions,	 systematic	 declassifica-
tion,	education	and	training	of	archivists,	the	development	of	international	stand-
ards,	the	use	of	ICT,	the	public	availability	of	finding	aids,	and	the	preparation	
of	codes	of	good	practice	and	ethical	principles	(Tyacke,	1995,	133–136;	Valge,	
2007,	193–194;	Kecskeméti	&	Székely,	2005,	10).
On	13	July	2000,	the	Council	of	Europe	adopted	Recommendation	No.	R	(2000)	
13	on	 a	European	policy	on	 access	 to	 archives,	which	 expressed	 the	 common	
ethical,	procedural,	and	technical	principles	on	rights-based	access	to	public	ar-
chives	in	Europe.	It	called	for	any	restrictions	to	be	duly	justified	and	limited	in	
time,	the	harmonization	of	rules	based	on	law,	and	free	access	to	public	records	
and	finding	aids.	The	Recommendation	is	considered	the	first	intergovernmen-
tal	standard	on	archives	access	policy	and	practice	in	Europe.	It	encouraged	the	
development	of	 access	policies	based	on	democratic	values,	human	 rights	 and	
the	rule	of	law,	acknowledging	that	access	to	public	archives	is	a	right	and	not	a	
privilege	(Kecskeméti	&	Székely,	2005,	7;	Friedewald,	2024,	61).	Archive	users	
should	be	entitled	to	request	access	and	to	appeal	against	the	rejection	of	access.	
Moreover,	Archives	should	not	deny	access	to	material	they	deem	irrelevant	for	
the	research	in	question	and	should	inform	users	if	only	partial	access	is	granted.	
Access	rules	to	private	archives	should	align	with	those	for	public	archives	(Ac-
cess	to	archives,	2005,	15–17).
Based	on	its	recommendation,	the	Council	of	Europe	commissioned	a	survey	in	
2003,	as	regards	archival	law	and	practice	on	access	in	the	45	member	states	and	
signatories	of	the	1954	European	Cultural	Convention	of	the	Council	of	Europe.	
22	of	them	claimed	their	legislation	would	be	fully	compatible	with	the	recom-
mendation,	12	stated	compatibility	with	few	exceptions	and	10	claimed	to	have	
respective	 archival	 legislation	 revision	 on	 the	way.	While	 14	 respondents	 had	
no	general	disclosure	period	in	their	archival	regulation,	20	respondents	applied	
30	years	rule	years.	50	percent	of	respondents	reported	to	have	obstacles	for	re-
search	on	post-1950	files	and	the	majority	claimed	their	archival	legislation	was	
not	 adequate	 to	 fully	 respond	 to	 the	 recommendation	 (Kecskeméti	&	Székely,	
2005,	18–26,	34–38).	The	survey	of	2003	 revealed	significant	 shortcomings	of	
traditions	that	were	still	in	favour	of	archival	secrecy.	20	years	later,	in	2022,	the	
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Council	of	Europe	commissioned	a	 follow-up	survey.	National	 legislation	now	
corresponded	with	few	exceptions.	Archival	acts	had	been	updated	in	the	light	
of	the	arrival	of	information	technology	and	the	internet,	due	to	important	new	
European	regulations,	such	as	the	GDPR	and	the	European	Data	Act.	The	closure	
periods	had	been	harmonized	towards	30	years	and	overall,	progress	was	made	
in	 implementing	 the	Council	of	Europe	recommendation	of	2000	(Friedewald,	
2024,	57–63).	”The	survey	showed	a	visible	shift	from	the	challenges	of	secrecy	
and	classified	documents	towards	a	balance	between	transparency	on	the	one	and	
data	protection	on	the	other	hand”	(Friedewald,	2024,	65–66).
In	a	2021	study,	Mikuláš	Čtvrtník	compared	access	law	of	archives	in	selected	
European	countries,	United	Kingdom,	France,	Germany,	Sweden,	Switzerland,	
Czech	Republic,	and	the	EU	institutions	and	defined	the	functions	of	closure	pe-
riods	in	protecting	recent,	sensitive	and	valuable	information	from	misuse,	and	
in	protecting	 the	administration	and	 its	efficiency,	privacy,	and	commercial	or	
business	 interests.	 “The	 study	 demonstrates	 that,	 over	 time,	 a	 gradual	 release	
occurs	in	what	was	initially	a	very	restrictive	regime	of	access	to	public	records	
and	historical	sources”	(Čtvrtník,	2021,	319).	In	the	United	Kingdom,	in	1967	the	
closure	period	was	lowered	from	50	to	30	years.	This	became	the	average	closure	
period	on	continental	Europe	introduced	1979	in	France,	1988	in	Germany,	and	
1983	in	EU	institutions.	The	EU’s	Freedom	of	Information	Regulation	of	2001	
obliged	not	only	public	archives	to	make	records	available	to	the	public,	but	cov-
ered	all	records	from	the	moment	of	their	production	in	public	entities	(Čtvrtník,	
2021,	321–322).	Recently,	the	United	Kingdom	moved	to	20	years	archival	closure	
(2010),	and	Switzerland	introduced	general	open	access	to	federal	public	records	
in	2006	(Čtvrtník,	2021,	328–329),	thus,	coming	close	to	the	Swedish	approach	
introduced	already	in	the	1766	Freedom	of	Press	Act.	Central	and	Eastern	Eu-
ropean	countries	generally	followed	the	30-years	EU	model	in	the	1990s	(Čtvrt-
ník,	2021,	331–332).	One	exception	was	the	national	archives	of	Romania,	which	
remained	 restrictive	even	under	 the	new	Archival	 law	of	1996	with	privileged	
access	remaining	general	practice.	In	2002,	another	law	reform	guaranteed	for	
the	first	time	in	view	of	EU	accession	the	right	to	access	to	information	of	public	
interest,	and	the	amendment	of	2007	showed	a	clear	will	for	reform,	democratisa-
tion,	and	transparency	(Dobrincu,	2012,	19–23).
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3. COORDINATION WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION
The	European	Union	became	active	in	the	field	of	access	to	archives	following	
the	 events	 of	 1989	 at	 the	 same	 time	 as	 the	 International	Council	 on	Archives	
and	the	Council	of	Europe.	On	14	November	1991,	the	Council	of	the	European	
Communities	 issued	 a	 resolution	 that	 stressed	 the	 role	 of	 archives	 in	 times	 of	
democratic	transition	and	in	line	with	the	objectives	of	the	Maastricht	Treaty	of	
1992	establishing	the	European	Union.	The	Treaty	of	1992	introduced	a	common	
European	citizenship	and	brought	to	the	fore	the	common	European	cultural	her-
itage	as	an	 instrument	 for	 the	 functioning	of	democracy.	Public	archives	were	
considered	key	in	providing	access	to	public	records	and	for	writing	the	history	
of	the	European	Union,	the	entire	continent,	and	its	individual	nations.	The	reso-
lution	called	for	an	expert	report	to	analyse	the	organization	of	public	archives	in	
EU	member	states	and	to	come	up	with	areas	for	coordination	and	cooperation.	
Examples	were	the	appraisal	and	disposal	of	records,	the	preservation	of	archives,	
the	 improvement	 of	 access	 conditions,	 the	 revision	 of	 national	 legislation,	 the	
management	of	digital	 archives,	 the	 exchange	of	 archival	 information	 through	
digital	networks,	the	training	of	archivists	and	the	recognition	of	diplomas,	the	
handling	of	private	archives,	and	finally	 the	work	methods	of	EU	 institutional	
archives	(European	Commission,	1994,	III-V).
With	regard	to	public	access	to	archives,	the	experts	reckoned	the	general	accept-
ance	in	Europe	of	the	30-years	disclosure	rule	as	a	common	standard,	but	also	
noted	that	his	should	be	considered	an	upper	limit,	in	particular	in	view	of	free-
dom	of	information	requirements.	The	main	recommendation	on	access	referred	
to:	guaranteeing	equal	access	to	all	users,	opening	reading	rooms	in	public	ar-
chives	for	at	least	40	hours	per	week,	not	limiting	the	number	of	items	requested	
for	consultation	by	the	readers,	making	available	the	full	range	of	reprographic	
processes	and	a	system	of	exchange	through	reproduction,	the	publishing	and	dis-
tribution	of	bilingual	user	guides,	making	available	published	repository	guides,	
not	preventing	access	in	those	cases	where	full	inventories	were	absent,	exchang-
ing inventories of collections of international interest, establishing an archival 
telematic	network	on	European	level,	providing	minimum	provisions	for	the	ser-
vices	to	be	given	to	readers	and	researchers,	and	finally	training	all	reading	room	
personnel	towards	receiving	readers	(European	Commission,	1994,	XII	and	30).	
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The	preceding	account	shows,	on	 the	one	hand,	 the	profound	similarity	of	 the	
legal	and	ethical	principles	which	govern	 the	availability	of	archives	 in	 the	12	
Member	States	of	the	Community	and,	on	the	other	hand,	the	great	diversity	of	
formulas	adopted	by	the	laws	and	regulations	of	these	12	Member	States	regard-
ing	the	concrete	expression	of	these	principles.	It	seems	illusory	(and	moreover	
in	the	main	useless)	to	seek	complete	unification	of	these	laws	and	regulations,	
many	of	which	are	connected	with	ideas	and	traditions	which	are	specific	to	each	
national	culture.	However,	it	could	be	wished	that	where	analogous	documents	of	
all	countries	are	concerned,	the	rules	of	access	be	harmonized,	with	duly	justified	
exceptions.	(European	Commission,	1994,	43–44)
Moreover,	 a	 European	 definition	 of	 personal	 data	 and	 privacy	was	 desirable	 to	
clarify	the	conditions	of	access	to	archives,	and	the	report	called	for	the	general	
strengthening	of	cooperation	in	archival	methodology,	management	and	the	open-
ing	of	archives	to	the	public.	Transnational	training	programmes,	information	ex-
change	and	standardization	in	information	technology	were	also	deemed	important.	
Finally,	the	report	referred	to	the	transformation	in	Central	and	Eastern	Europe	as	
an	important	contribution	to	the	reinforcement	of	democracy	in	Europe:
“This	awareness	is	even	more	important	in	that	archives	in	the	countries	of	Cen-
tral	and	Eastern	Europe	are	in	general	in	a	state	of	decay,	owing	to	a	lack	of	funds	
and	qualified	personnel.	Remaining	within	the	sphere	of	the	resolution,	attention	
given	to	the	state	of	archives	in	certain	countries	or	furthering	cooperation	with	
regard	to	their	use	will	also	contribute	to	reinforcement	of	democracy	throughout	
Europe.”	(European	Commission,	1994,	78–79).
Ten	years	after	the	first	report,	on	6	May	2003,	the	Council	of	the	EU	issued	a	
new	resolution	on	public	archives	in	member	states	and	convened	once	again	a	
group	of	national	experts	to	prepare	a	report	on	increased	future	cooperation	in	
the	enlarged	Europe.	The	report	was	presented	in	Brussels	on	3	June	2004	and	
covered	 the	 organization	 of	 the	 archival	 sector	 in	 Europe,	 access	 to	 archives,	
the	role	and	training	of	archivists	in	the	21st	century,	preservation	and	damage	
prevention	of	archives,	electronic	archives,	activities	at	the	European	level,	and	
finally	audio-visual	archives.	The	main	actions	in	the	field	of	access	to	archives	
referred	to	the	monitoring	of	EU	and	national	legislation	relating	to	the	access	to	
and	the	establishment	of	an	inventory	of	existing	archival	legislation	within	the	
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50
enlarged	European	Union.	Moreover,	the	report	recommended	the	creation	of	an	
official	European	Archives	Group	for	a	first	period	of	3	years	to	implement	all	
recommendations	(Council	of	the	EU,	2004,	I–IV).
“In	a	world	of	continuous	and	rapid	change,	modern	archives	services	 in	 the	21st	
century	are	an	element	of	continuity,	stability	and	provide	a	solid	base	for	essential	
information	and	indispensable	documents	and	archives,	which	are	among	the	prereq-
uisites	for	the	democratic	functioning	of	our	societies.”	(Council	of	the	EU,	2004,	V).
The	new	European	Archives	Group	became	a	standing	official	expert	group	un-
der	 the	 rotating	Presidency	of	 the	Council	 of	 the	EU	and	 still	 operates	 today.	
Coordinated	by	the	European	Commission,	it	acts	as	main	forum	for	cooperation,	
standardisation	and	information	exchange	amongst	national	archives	of	EU	mem-
ber	states	and	with	EU	institutions.	Its	membership	also	includes	the	Historical	
Archives	of	the	European	Union	at	the	European	University	Institute	in	Florence.	
During	the	negotiations	for	the	General	Data	Protection	Regulation,	for	example,	
it	 represented	 the	needs	of	public	archives	and	achieved	 the	recognition	of	 the	
principle	 “archiving	 in	 the	 public	 interest”,	which	 permits	 the	 preservation	 of	
relevant	personal	data	for	transparency,	fundamental	rights,	accountability,	sci-
entific	and	research	purposes,	beyond	its	strict	administrative	use,	for	long-term	
preservation	and	public	access	(European	Archives	Group,	2018,	5).
CONCLUSION
In	democratic	societies,	access	to	archives	is	a	general	right	and	not	just	a	privilege.	
Much	has	been	achieved	since	the	first	claim	of	public	access	to	archives	in	the	French	
Revolution	of	1789	and	the	first	legal	reference	to	access	in	the	Swedish	Press	Free-
dom	Act	of	1766.	Important	steps	towards	the	democratic	provision	of	access	have	
been	made	in	the	West	during	the	Cold	War.	The	Freedom	of	Information	movement	
has	further	extended	access	rights	to	public	documents	onto	the	moment	of	their	cre-
ation	and	overriding	the	general	disclosure	periods	set	by	archival	legislation.
In	 the	aftermath	of	1989	and	 the	democratic	 transition	 in	Central	and	Eastern	
Europe,	the	Council	of	Europe	and	the	European	Union	became	active	and	played	
important	roles	in	facilitating	the	democratization	and	modernization	of	archival	
legislation	and	practice	 in	 the	countries	 in	 transformation.	Still	 today,	 though,	
archival	legislation	and	the	accessibility	of	public	archives	continue	to	vary.	
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51
The	research	project	OPENARCH	of	the	EUI’s	Alcide	De	Gasperi	Research	Cen-
tre	analyses	the	development	of	accessibility	conditions	in	EU	Widening	coun-
tries	since	the	events	of	1989	and	seeks	to	give	guidance	to	the	archival	profes-
sion	in	the	Western	Balkans	and	the	Eastern	Partnership	countries	in	the	field	of	
open	access	to	archives.	Moreover,	the	project	consults	the	experience	of	scholars	
in	 the	social	sciences	when	consulting	public	archives,	and	 identifies	areas	 for	
strengthening	cooperation	and	training	on	public	access	to	archives.
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