The Law on Freedom of Access to Information exists at the state level, but it is necessary to improve the legal framework, ensure the obligation of proactive transparency that citizens and civil society in achieving this right, on the roundtime on the occasion of the International Freedom of Access to Information.
The Law on Freedom of Access to Information in BiH exists at the state level, but is not fully agreed and does not apply equally in all parts of the state, the Aurelie Valtat, the Head of the Department of European Integration, Political and Economic Issues in the Delegation of the European Union to BiH.
“Freedom of information should be available to everyone in itself, there should be no secrecy and inconsistent approach, so that the law should be improved in the Round Table in the Organization of Transparency International BiH.
In his opinion, citizens must have a body that can appeal if they are denied the right to information, which can bring some sanctions. Proactive transparency is important for it.
“Which means that those who make laws, which bring various public documents, budgets and other must publish those documents immediately after making,” she said. As she said, all government portals on which public documents are published must work well.
Ena Kljajić Grgić, manager of the Legal Aid Center in Transparency International BiH, explained that the state law on freedom of access to information has been in force for two years.
“We found that there are certain things that do not work as it was conceived. We are here to give the recommendations to the competent authorities, as per perhaps the inclusion of some new fines because we have established a violation of the law by public bodies,” she said.
For Kljajić Grgić, at the entity level, the legal framework that is in force since 2001 is also needed.
“Funding Information from Public Budgets such as employment contracts, data from the public procurement agreements, however, are very reluctant to provide public authorities, and we must provide further continuity in the continuation of the delivery of this type of information”, She said she.
Ivana Korajlić, director of Transparency International, stated that this organization used the International Freedom of Access to Information every year to remind all the challenges with which citizens, civil society and the media face access to information.
“We still have a non-compliant legal framework, different provisions that define a different level of rights, but what is common to still have no adequately applicable provisions on proactive transparency,” she said.
She added that the system of supervision and protection is inefficient, and to see this as a re-start process of consultations on what needs to be improved in all laws at all levels, including the state level that has been changed recently.
The Deputy Chief and Responsible Editor of the Center for Investigative Journalism stated that one journalist of this media house annually sends from 70 to 80 requests on the basis of the Law on Freedom of Access to Information.
“From the total number, we get a 70 or 80 percent of the answers at all. Which means we at starting to fight for those 20 or 30 percent to contact us by calling, not to tell us a formal shape,” she said.
As it explained, on average, every other response from the institutions is an adequate response to what requested by the request, writes RTV elephant.
