The countries of South East Europe enjoy very high standards when it comes to the legislation regulating access to public information and transparency. But the reality on the ground is different and journalists across the region denounce serious difficulties in obtaining – both from private organizations and public institutions – the access to information they are entitled by the law.
A recently published dossier by Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa gathers the articles published by the network of its media partners in the ECPMF project, assessing the specific situation in the countries involved in the project.
Access to public information in Erdoğan’s Turkey
Gülseren Adaklı | 10/3/2017
A detailed and unique analysis of the right to access information in Turkey, where not only this right is not being upheld, but also the freedom of expression is heavily violated
Accessing information in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo | Ljupko Mišeljić | 9/3/2017
All too often, institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina ignore requests for access to information, give only partial answers, or do not reply within the statutory deadline
Romania and access to information: a law that works
Stela Giurgeanu | 6/3/2017
In Romania, the law on access to information is a substantially effective tool in support of quality journalism
Montenegro, the silence of the public administration
Podgorica | Ivan Čađenović | 2/3/2017
Montenegro adopted a law on free access to public information 7 years ago, but in many cases the information required is withheld, and no one is sanctioned
Serbia: how the authorities block access to information
Simon Lenormand | 23/2/2017
Serbia has one of the best laws in the world to guarantee public access to information. The problem is, the state does not respect its own laws. And the situation may get worse in the future
Zagreb | Toni Gabrić | 16/2/2017
In Croatia, journalists and citizens have a hard time accessing information which should be of public domain
Serbia: the hard fight for information
Maja Poznatov | 13/2/2017
Even though there is a good institutional and legislative framework defending the right to access information of public interest, some crucial issues are still unresolved
Bulgaria: every third institution is not transparent
Tsvetelina Yordanova | 9/2/2017
According to a study conducted by a local Ngo, Bulgarian institutions are gradually improving their transparency when publicising the acts they issue. Nevertheless, much remains to be done
Kosovar journalists need to demand implementation of their access to information rights
Furtuna Sheremeti | 8/2/2017
In Kosovo, access to information is well guaranteed in theory — in practise it’s a different story
Europe: access to information in practice, not just on paper
Andreas Pavlou* | 17/11/2016
250 years after the first transparency law in Europe adopted in Sweden in 1766, Europeans need access to information in practice, not just on paper. An editorial