Access to Information Programme

All publications

On May 28, 2007, Access to Information Programme (AIP) presented its Annual Report Access to Information in Bulgaria 2006 at a pres conference held in the Bulgarian News Agency. AIP has been preparing the Report since the adoption of the Access to Public Information Act in 2000. The Report contains detailed analysis of changes in FOI legislation and practices; characteristics of the cases that Access to Information Programme received for legal help; results from a monitoring on the active provision of information by the institutions on their web sites; and an overview of the most interesting developments in the FOI court practices in 2006.

Available: Acrobat PDF (1.6Mb)

In October 2006 Access to Information Programme celebrated 10 years since its establishment.

This 64-page brochure presents the history of our organization: the origins; the establishment of our network of coordinators in 1997; legislative advocay; legal help; monitoring of the implementation of the Access to Public Information Act; litigation; the media campaigns; training sessions; networking; our publications and projects.

Available: Acrobat PDF (1.8Mb)

• In the beginning of 2006 Access to Information Programme published the third volume of Access to Information Litigation in Bulgaria. Selected cases. The book is divided into two parts - analytical text, written by Alexander Kashumov and Kiril Terziiski, and ten full court cases. The Bulgarian Access to Public Information Act has not established an independent institution to overview its implementation. In view of this situation, the court practice on the implementation of the APIA becomes of great significance...

Available: (Acrobat PDF 2611Kb))

• The final version of the report "Access to Information in Bulgaria 2004" is available. The purpose of this report is to summarize the developments in the freedom of information legislation and its implementation. The problems of the implementation of the right to information access outlined by the reporting team allow us to make certain conclusions on a practical and political level, in an attempt to improve the practices of providing access to information. This is the reason why this report starts with recommendations for the legislative and executive bodies of power in Bulgaria. This Report is published within the framework of the project "Implementation of Freedom of Information in Bulgaria", implemented by Access to Information Programme with cooperation of VVMZ East European Investment Services B.V. (NL) and financially supported by the Programme for Social Transformation in Central and East Europe (MATRA) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Available: Report (text only): Acrobat PDF (440Kb)
Available: Full version (cover page and graphics) Acrobat PDF (1900Kb)

• Access to Information Programme prepared the first version of a Report on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice on Environmental Matters. The report, which is currently under review by NGOS, officials and scientists, was prepared using the methodology of The Access Initiative of the World Resources Institute.The national team, working on the project in Bulgaria, comprised Alexander Kashumov, Darina Palova, Gergana Jouleva, Kiril Terzijski, and Nikolay Marekov from Access to Information Programme and Petar Radev and Stoyan Yotov from “Borrowed Nature” Association. Diana Bancheva (AIP) worked on the English version of the project resume,
English summary: (Acrobat PDF 226Kb)
Responce scores by indicator: (Acrobat PDF 68Kb)

• Access to Information Litigation in Bulgaria. Volume 2. We have chosen the most important FOI court cases in Bulgaria for the period between 2002 and 2004. The analytical part of the book was written by Alexander Kashumov and Kiril Terziiski. Read the full text here Acrobat PDF (672Kb)

• Access to Information in Bulgaria 2003. Report
This Report is published within the framework of the project "Implementation of Freedom of Information in Bulgaria", implemented by Access to Information Programme with cooperation of VVMZ East European Investment Services B.V. (NL) and financially supported by the Programme for Social Transformation in Central and East Europe (MATRA) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Available: Acrobat PDF (308Kb)

• How to Get Access to Environmental Information - Handbook

Available: Acrobat Reader PDF (253kb)

Bulgaria - The Access to Information Program: Fighting for Transparency during the Democratic Transition (updated June 16, 2004), by Gergana Jouleva
Changes in the information regime in Bulgaria have been slow and incremental since the fall of the communists in 1989. But the work of the Access to Information Programme, an NGO that has been at the forefront of the freedom of information movement in that country, has succeeded in opening up what was once one of the most secretive and authoritarian states in Eastern Europe.

Available: http://www.freedominfo.org/case/bulgaria1.htm

• The Current Situation of the Access to Public Information in Bulgaria 2002. - Report

Available: Acrobat Reader PDF (248 Kb)

• The Year of the Rational Ignorance Access to Information Programme presents the report of the sociological survey Fulfillment of the Obligations under APIA by the bodies of the Executive power 2002. The report is published in the frame of the project "Practical Access to Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe" implemented with the leading role of Article 19 with the financial support of the European Initiatve for Democracy and Human Rights. Read the full text Acrobat PDF (208Kb) .

• Access to Information Programme has published its book Access to Information Litigation in Bulgaria. Selected Cases. We have chosen the most important court appeals in the field of access to information in Bulgaria. The introduction to the book was written by Alexander kashumov and edited by Gergana Jouleva. Read the full text Acrobat PDF (732Kb) .

• The Current Situation of the Access to Public Information in Bulgaria 2001. - Report

Available: Acrobat Reader PDF (249 Kb)

• Analysis of the Montenegrin draft Access to Information Law with regard to the provisions of the Public Information Law and the international Standards for the freedom of information

Available: HTML

• The Current Situation of the Access to Public Information in Bulgaria - Report

Available: Acrobat Reader PDF

• How to apply The Access to Public Information Act - Local Administration Handbook

Available: Acrobat Reader PDF

• How to Use the Access to Public Information Law - Citizens' Guide

Available: Acrobat Reader PDF

• Public Registers Situation this study was conducted as part of the Access to Information Program (AIP) Project Where and how to exercise our right to information, funded by the Open Society Foundation - Sofia.

Available: Acrobat Reader PDF (237 Kb)

• By virtue of Article 101(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria I HEREBY DECREE: I recommit the State Employees Act, adopted by the XXXVIII National Assembly on June 16th 1999, to the National Assembly Issued in Sofia, June 30th 1999 President of the Republic: Petar Stoyanov

Available: HTML • Acrobat Reader PDF

• MEMORANDUM Of the Participants in the Seminar ‘Access to Information – Practices and Local Regime’ The seminar was organised by the ‘Access to Information Program’ Foundation Stara Zagora – 25. 06. 1999

Available: HTML • Acrobat Reader PDF

• ARTICLE 19 • The International Centre Against Censorship • MEMORANDUM ON THE BULGARIAN DRAFT LAW ON ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION

Available: HTML • Acrobat Reader PDF

• OBSERVATIONS Of the Covington & Burling Regarding : the Access to Public Information Bill

Available: HTML • Acrobat Reader PDF

• THE RIGHT OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION • CONCEPT ON LEGISLATION

Available: HTML • Acrobat Reader PDF

• Preliminary comments and recommendations by a group of legal experts of Access to Information Programme and Bulgarian Helsinki Committee related to the Access to Public Information draft Act

Available: HTML • Acrobat Reader PDF