Freedom of information laws by country

Freedom of Information in Balkans Still ‘On Paper Only’, Panel Hears

Freedom of Information, FOI, Laws in the Western Balkans are over a decade old. Even though almost all countries monitored by BIRN have laws that are considered well-written, their value is often only on paper, speakers from the region told BIRN's panel discussion, "Freedom of Information in the Balkans: Calls Not Answered".

Albania’s Rama Appoints Spokesperson to Run New ‘Information’ Agency

A BIRN Freedom of Information Request has revealed that Prime Minister Edi Rama on 29 September last year appointed his own former spokesperson, Endri Fuga, as head of the newly established Media and Information Agency, MIA. The appointment was not published and was disclosed only recently following the FOI request.

Bosnia’s Judiciary Still Reluctant to Answer Emailed FOI Requests

Nearly 10 per cent of judicial institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina which responded to BIRN's FOI request insisted that requests for access to information be submitted in person or by mail, while some offered fax as an alternative.

BIRN sent inquiries to 96 courts and prosecutors' offices on how they receive requests for free access to information.

Platform B: Freedom of Information in the Balkans: Classified, Rejected, Delayed

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Platform B event series will be organised in accordance with all relevant health measures. As the situation improves, we hope to be able to host some of the events in BIRN spaces in Sarajevo and Belgrade, and elsewhere in the region.

The Platform B will be an opportunity for individuals and groups to meet monthly on selected topics.

Record workload for Information Commissioner in 2020

Ljubljana – The Office of the Information Commissioner received a record number of applications, complaints and queries last year, according to the annual report submitted to the National Assembly.

A total of 565 complaints were received, and the number of requests for opinion rose by almost a third due to high demand for information about spending on public health measures.

North Macedonia’s State of Emergency Weakens Institutions’ Transparency

Both the institutions and those requesting information say that for now, problems are often solved in mutual agreements that allow for a delay of a few days, enabling institutions to cope.

North Macedonia's law on freedom of access to public information does not envisage what should happen to such rights in extraordinary situations like this one.

Central and Eastern Europe Freedom of Information Rights ‘Postponed’

Media regulations across the region have been tightened under states of emergency and journalists have been arrested on accusations of spreading misinformation concerning the response of authorities to the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Some countries have sought to centralise the dissemination of official information and banned certain media from regular briefings. 

Western Balkans Have Yet to Embrace Freedom of Information

Between January 2017 and June 2019, BIRN journalists submitted 854 official requests to access public documents in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. With the aid of the information gained from these requests, BIRN produced numerous investigative pieces and so exposed wrongdoing by governments, companies and powerful individuals.

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