BRATISLAVA, June 28, (WEBNOVINY) — The association Via Iuris warns that if some comments to the draft revision of the law on free access to information that is undergoing interdepartmental review go through, it will be a big setback, which will considerably weaken the right of citizens and journalists to information.
“Instead of boosting the enforceability of information availability for citizens, many ministries and offices demand the information act to be considerably curtailed, ” said Via Iuris in its stance from Tuesday. It pointed at the fact that some ministries and offices suggest, for example, enacting the possibility of fining a citizen for filing an application for information up to EUR 1,650 and demand to scrap sanctions for white collar staff for breaching the information law. According to another proposal, joint stock companies in which the state is the majority stockholder would not be obliged to inform on their economic performance. Another demand form interdepartmental review is prolonging deadlines for handling an application for information, which Via Iuris considers disproportionate. According to Via Iuris, several vague regulations have been proposed that would enable offices to turn down willfully and within biased judgment applications for information from citizens and journalists. Via Iuris however speaks also about many other changes tailored with the aim of weakening the law. Via Iuris claims that this would be at odd with the government’s program statement, in which the government pledges to push through maximum transparency of activities of public authorities and institutions so that the principle ‘what is not classified is public‘ which was the credo of adopting the law on free access to information in 2001 is fulfilled and any handling with the assets of the state is open to public control.
Transparency international Slovensko joins Via Iuris in its disappointment over the comments to the draft. It is concerned that if accepted, the comments can considerably curb effectiveness of the law in question. Moreover, the ten-year life of the law shows that the citizens still do not have appropriate access to information on work of state authorities or distributing public funds, said TIS director Gabriel Sipos and lawyer Pavel Nechala who cooperated with the organizations in their stance. They suggest that instead of weakening it the law needs gain more teeth.
SITA