Transparency initiatives in Brazil and state reforms in Portugal

In Brazil, the organization Colabora has expressed support for the ‘Compromisso com um governo estadual mais aberto e colaborativo’ campaign. Launched by Open Knowledge Brasil, the initiative seeks to establish a transparency and open data agenda for state governments and legislative assemblies for the 2027-2030 period. Key objectives include regulating access to information, implementing open data policies, reconciling data protection laws with access laws, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

In Portugal, Minister Gonçalo Matias defended the government against opposition claims regarding a lack of state reform. During a parliamentary hearing, Matias highlighted that six codes affecting citizens and companies have been amended in the last 15 months. He specifically emphasized the interoperability law, which aims to reduce bureaucracy by preventing the need for citizens and businesses to submit documents that are already held by other public entities. The government estimates this measure could eliminate the request for approximately three million documents annually.