Access to Information Programme (AIP) Foundation was established on October 23, 1996 in Sofia, Bulgaria by journalists, lawyers, sociologists, and economists who work in the area of human rights. They joined efforts to promote the right to information and initiate a public debate on related issues.

Access to Information Programme Foundation is a non-governmental organization registered by the Sofia City Court
Reg. #13 849/96. Since Oct. 30, 2002, AIP is in the Register of Organizations Working in Public Interest at the Ministry of Justice with Reg. # 20021030027.

The mission of AIP is to facilitate implementation of Article 41 of the Bulgarian Constitution which establishes the right of information:

(1) Everyone shall be entitled to seek, obtain and disseminate information. This right shall not be exercised to the detriment of the rights and reputation of others, or to the detriment of national security, public order, public health and morality.
(2) Citizens shall be entitled to obtain information from state bodies and agencies on any matter of legitimate interest to them which is not a state or official secret and does not affect the rights of others.

In 2005, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation recognized Access to Information Programme with two of the most prestigious awards for establishing and promoting the principles of democracy and market economy: The Templeton Freedom Prize for Ethics and Values and The Templeton Freedom Award for Institute Excellence. The Awards were presented to AIP Executive Director, Gergana Jouleva, PhD at the Fifth Freedom Forum, organized by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, USA.

The goals of AIP are:
• To encourage individual and public demand for information through civic education in-the-right-to-know area,
• To work for transparency of government at different levels, advocating a more open supply of information,
• To facilitate the execution of the right to know.

	Access to Information Programme is a co-founder and member of the International Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet)
	Access to information Programme is a founding member of the European Civil Liberties Network
	Access to Information Programme is an associate member of the European Citizen Action Service
	Access to Information Programme is a member of network The Access Initiative
	Access to Information Programme is a member of the Network of Democracy Research Institutes

How to contact us:

You can always write us an e-mail or visit our office:

Gergana Jouleva, Executive Director
Access to Information Programme
Sofia, 1142
76, Vassil Levski Blvd. 3rd floor
e-mail: office@aip-bg.org

Also, you could call us or send us a fax:
Tel/fax: (+359 2) 988 50 62; 981 97 91; 986 77 09

We have a network of coordinators in 27 cities in Bulgaria.