Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 10:01:45 -0700 (PDT) From: Franklin Weston Subject: Swedish parliament goes online (fwd) SWEDEN MOVES TOWARDS ELECTRONIC OPENNESS Stockholm june 3 The swedish parliament today decided to open up the parliamentary database RIXLEX to the public free of charge. The database consist of more or less all official information that flows thorough the parliament. Among the data you can access is (almost) simoultaneous transcripts of all debates, all motions, all government bills, personal data on all the current (and many former) members of parliament and all decisions (laws) of the parliament. The database has been available in a rather cumbersome interface to selected groups, as journalists, for a fee (approx US $ 1000/year) but will be available free to the public over the world wide web as from this fall. The decision is a success for the swedish organization Graevande Journalister (Investigative Reporters and Editors) who has fought on the Internet and elsewhere for the free publication of the database. For more information contact Per Axelson (per.axelson@riksdagen.se) at the Swedish parliament at or the chairman of Graevande Journalister Bo G Andersson (m-4674@mailbox.swipnet.se). Yours Fredrik Laurin News wire in swedish concerning the decision: INRIKES 3 JUNI GRATIS ATT SOEKA I RIKSDAGENS DATABAS Avgifterna foer att soeka i riksdagens databas Rixlex slopas 1 juli. Riksdagen foerlorar 2,5 miljoner kr, men trots det aer alla partier foer att Rixlex-tjaensterna ska vara gratis. Beslutet aer en framgang foer foerening- en Graevande Journalister, som har propagerat foer ett slopande av avgifterna foer insynens skull. Allt riksdagsmaterial, som tal och motioner, finns i Rixlex. I hoest laeggs ocksa databasen ut pa naetet World Wide Web (Internet). ****************************************************************** Fredrik Laurin (fml@pi.se) Striptease Home: SVT - Swedish Television Hagagatan 38 S-105 10 Stockholm,Sweden S-113 47 Stockholm Tel: +46 8 7845591 Tel/Fax: +46 8 306002 Fax: +46 8 6671628 Mobile +46 (0)708 326202 If you wish to mail me anonymously, please try: help@anon.penet.fi