If the details of a given meeting cover elements of Hungary’s Standard Disclosure List under its access to information law, they have to be published. Otherwise, this area is unregulated. The regulatory gap has been criticised by anti-corruption NGOs and international organisations. Table 5: External informal government department meetings: duty to document and proactive publication Class of Information: Minutes, agendas and lists of participants of ad hoc meetings with external actors as part of informal decision-making process of government departments (e.g. meetings with lobby groups such as representative bodies, ngos, trade unions, business interests, companies, professional lobbyists etc). Country Is a duty to document? Are there provisions for proactive publication? Law Guidelines Law Guidelines Consistently released under FOI Austria X NC X X X Finland X NC X NC NC Germany X X X X X Hungary X NC X NC X Ireland X S X X S Italy X X X X NC Poland  X  X S Scotland  S S   S Slovenia  X  X NC Spain X X X X X Sweden - - - - -
Laws, guidelines and practices – duty to document Government departments routinely seek advice from external or internal legal experts to inform their policy choices and ensure that they are acting within the law. This study found that in only three jurisdictions have laws requiring this class of information to be documented (see Table 6, page 45). These are Poland, Spain and the European Commission. In addition, guidelines are in place in Ireland, Scotland and the (rest of the) United Kingdom. This research identifies the practice of documenting such legal advice in five countries – Germany, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the European Commission. Table 6: Legal advice to ministry meetings: duty to document and proactive publication Class of Information: Legal advice given to government departments (excluding Attorney General/chief legal adviser advice)? Country Is a duty to document? Are provisions for proactive publication? Law Guidelines Law Guidelines Consistently released under FOI Austria X NC X X X Finland X X X X NC Germany X NC X X S Hungary NC X NC X X Ireland X S X X X Italy X X X X NC Poland  X X X X Scotland X  X X X Slovenia X X X X NC Spain S X S X X Sweden _ _ _ _ _ United Kingdom X  X X X
Laws, guidelines and practices – proactive publication This study found that there are none of the 13 jurisdictions have laws in relation to the proactive publication of Ministerial diaries. In practice, these diaries are published proactively in Ireland, Scotland, the United Kingdom and the European Commission. They are routinely released when requested in four countries only – Finland, Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. Table 9: Ministerial Diaries: duty to document and proactive publication Class of Information: Ministerial diaries - recorded entries, including appointments and meetings, in the official diaries of government ministers. Country Is a duty to document? Are provisions for proactive publication? Law Guidelines Law Guidelines Consistently released under FOI Austria X NC X X X Finland X NC X NC S Germany X NC X X NC Hungary X X X X X Ireland X X X X  Italy X X X X NC Poland X X X X X Scotland X X X X  Slovenia X X X X NC X X X X X Sweden _ _ _ _ _ United Kingdom X  X X S European Commission NC  NC   = Yes X = No NC = Not clear/no data S =Some