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Freedom
of Information - also known as the public's right to know or
administrative transparency - gives citizens access to official
information hold by government and other public authorities. In
1766 a Freedom
of Information Law (Tryckfrihetsförordningen) was introduced
in Sweden-Finland,
thanks to a Finn
named Anders
Chydenius,
who fought for democracy, equality, and respect for the human
rights. 1888 followed Columbia, 1919 Finland (independent
1917) and 1966 in USA.
Since then more than 65 countries adopted such laws. Many countries guarantee FOI in constitutions. The global trends are that FOI is recognized as human right. All countries in Europe have FOI laws or are preparing bills. Nearly all OECD countries and all developed countries recognize Freedom of information. Transparency was the Word of the Year 2003 and 28. September 2003 the "Right to Know" Day.
Albania,
Argentina,
Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Australia,
Austria, Belarus,
Belgium,
Belize,
Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Brazil,
Bulgaria,
Canada,
Colombia,
Council
of Europe, The
Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea,
Estonia,
European
Union, Finland, Fiji,
France,
Georgia,
Germany, Greece,
Hong
Kong, Hungary,
Iceland, India,
Ireland, Israel,
Italy,
Jamaica,
Japan,
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia
(FYROM), Mexico,
Moldova, Mongolia,
Nigeria, The
Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Pakistan,
Panama,
Peru,
The
Philippines, Poland,
Portugal,
Romania,
Russia,
Slovak
Republic, Slovenia,
South
Africa, South
Korea, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan,
Thailand,
Trinidad und Tobago, Turkmenistan,
Uganda,
Ukraine,
United Kingdom, United
States of America, Uzbekistan.
The global
trends on the right to information are investigated by ARTICLE 19, the Global
Campaign for Free Expression. Considering both laws and
constitutions FOI is widely recognized as human right: http://www.juridicas.unam.mx/publica/rev/comlawj/cont/1/cts/cts3.htm.
FOI
is based on
In
Sweden - with longest tradition - FOI is found in the Constitution
(Chapter
2, Article 1 (2)). The constitutions of many other countries
i. e. Albania
(Art.
23), Belarus
(Art. 34), Belgium (Art. 32), Bulgaria
(Art. 41), Croatia
(only for journalists: Art. 38), Czech Republic
(Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms: Art. 17), Estonia
(Art. 44), Finland (Constitution,
Section
12), Georgia (Art. 41), Hungary
(Art.
61), Lithuania
(Art. 25), Macedonia
(Art. 16), Moldavia
(Art. 34), Netherlands (Art. 110), Poland
(Art. 61), Portugal (Art. 268), Rumania
(Art. 31), Russian
Federation (Art. 29), Slovenia
(Art. 39), Slovakia
(Art. 26), Spain (Art. 105 b), Argentina
(Art. 43), Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Malawi
(Art. 37), Mongolia
(Art. 16, 17), Mozambique
(Art. 74), Nepal
(Art. 16), Panama (Art. 42,43,44), the Philippines (Art.
III, Sec. 7), Peru
(Art. 200(3)), the Republic
of South Africa (sec. 16), Tanzania
(Art. 18(2)), Tajikistan,
Thailand
(Sec. 58), and Turkmenistan
(26) all guarantee the right to access information held by
the State.
| Organization | Name with Link | Translation |
| Council of Europe, 1981 | "Recommendation No. R (81) 19" on the access to information held by public authorities | |
| EU, 1997 (Amsterdam) | Treaty establishing the European Community (signed in Rome on 25 March 1957), consolidated version: Article 255 http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/de/treaties/dat/amsterdam.html | German |
| UNECE, 1998 | United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: Environmental Matters: The Aarhus Convention: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/acig.htm | |
| EU, 2000 | Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, (2000/C 364/01): http://www.europarl.eu.int/charter/default_en.htm | German |
| Council of Europe, 2002 | Recommendation Rec(2002)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on access to official documents: http://cm.coe.int/stat/E/Public/2002/adopted_texts/recommendations/2002r2.htm | German |
The EU
Charter of Fundamental Rights gives a right of
access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
FOI laws came first to Scandinavia (Sweden
(1766), Finland, Norway, Denmark
and Island),
then to English speaking countries (USA
(1966), Ireland
und England
(UK)) and at last to German speaking countries (Austria
(1986), Switzerland
und Germany).
FOI laws in other European countries are collected here. Germany still lacks Freedom of Information in 8 of 16 states as the only major country in Europe.
Freedom of Information came 1766 to
Sweden, 1919
to Finland, 1966
to den USA, 1970 to
Norway and 1985 to
Denmark In 1981 the Council of Europe gave "Recommendation
No. R (81) 19" on the access to information held by
public authorities. A new Recommendation
Rec(2002)2 was adopted 2002. Both EU and nearly all countries
in the EU and Europe adopted such laws. However citizen rights
vary and there are no minimum standards. In order to keep up with
the international development freedom of information should be
strengthened in EU member states. Here is a petition to the European Parliament.
Support Freedom of Information, by
the following E-Mail to the European Commission (click here):
I support the call to the
European Commission and Council for democratic and accountable
Freedom of Information Laws on access to public documents in EU
and member states.
(You may change the text according to your needs).
Freedom of Information came 1919
to Finland, 1949 to
Sweden, 1966
to den USA, 1970 to
Norway and 1985 to
Denmark. In 1981 the Council of Europe gave "Recommendation
No. R (81) 19" on the access to information held by
public authorities. Germany is the only country in the EU without
such a law. In order to keep up with the international
development freedom of information should also be adopted in
Germany.
Support the German Freedom of Information Law, by
the following E-Mail to the German Government (click here):
I support the call to the
German Government for a democratic and accountable Freedom of
Information Law on access to public documents.
(You may change the text according to your needs).
The Federal Republic of Germany is
the only country in the EU without FOI. But 8 of 16 federal local
states (Bundesländer) Brandenburg,
Berlin,
Schleswig-Holstein,
North
Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania, Saarland and Hamburg
have adopted FOI. Opposition parties in the states of
Bavaria, Hesse, Lower
Saxony, Rheinland-Pfalz,
Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt
and Thuringia
have suggested FOI laws. Unfortunately parliaments in
Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse and Saxony have voted against
FOI laws.
Support the Freedom of Information Laws in the states of: Baden-Württemberg,
Bavaria,
Hesse,
Lower
Saxony, Saxony,
Saxony-Anhalt,
Thuringa
with the following E-Mail:
I support
the call to the German Local State (Bundesland) Government for a
democratic and accountable Freedom of Information Law on access
to public documents.
(This E-Mails is send to the parties governing the state, with a
copy to the opposition suggesting the FOI law. You may change the
text according to your needs).
Warning: I do not accept any liability that the information on these pages is correct, accurate or up to date!
Please feel free to link this site!
Thanks to all, who gave me this information. Please do not hesitate to mail me if you have additional information.
Visitor No.
since 2. January 2002
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 Saxony-Anhalt for a democratic and accountable Freedom of Information Law on access to public documents.http://home.online.no/~wkeim/foi-laws-eu.jpg){kind=link}
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