How to Apply the Access to Public Information Act? Handbook for administrative bodies

In 2021, the AIP published the handbook for Bulgarian administrative bodies "How to Apply the Access to Public Information Act?". The handbook was created as contracted by the Council of Ministers Administration, and Access to Information Programme is the beneficiary under project: No. BG05SFOP001-2.001-0001 “Improving the processes related to the provision, access and re-use of public sector information”. The project has been financed under the "Good Governance"Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund.

The Bulgarian original is to be found here.
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How to Get Access to Information, Handbook for Citizens

The fifth edition of the handbook is updated in line with the latest amendments to the Access to Public Information Act (APIA) as of December 2015. The handbook gives answers to the questions:
  • Who has the right of access to information?
  • Who is obliged under the law to provide access to information?
  • What are the categories of information that obliged public bodies should proactively publish in the Internet?
  • What is the information that we could request under the APIA?
  • What type of information can be refused? (Restrictions to the right of access to information;Overriding public interest principle; Partial access to information)
  • What type of information are public bodies obliged to update regularly and make available all the time?
  • How to get access to information? - how to request access, what are the forms that we could request, what to expect after filing a request
  • How to appeal administrative access to information decisions in the court?
  • Re-use of public sector information.

The update and publishing of the handbook was possible within the project "Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information," supported by a grant under the Fund for NGO Support in Bulgaria through the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009 - 2014.
The text in Bulgarian.
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10 Years Access to Information Programme

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.
10 Years Access to Information Programme, Access to Information Programme, Sofia: 2007, 64 pages, ISBN 978-954-9953-42-8
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How to apply the access to public information act? - Handbook for the administration, 2005

This manual for administrative officials contains basic international standards and principles of access to information legislation, as well as the procedures for providing access stipulated by the Bulgarian law. Practical recommendations and examples of accumulated good practices are addressed to the responsible information officials.
Attachment 1: List of obliged bodies under the APIA ;
Attachment 2a: Partial Access;
Attachment 2b: Partial Access ;
Attachment 3: State Secret;
Attachment 4: Administrative secret;
Attachment 5: Trade secret;
Attachment 7: Model of a request for access to information;
Attachment 8: Model decision for information disclosure;
Attachment 9: Model decision for partial information disclosure;
Attachment 10: Model protocol for information disclosure;
Attachment 11: Model refusal to provide access to information;
Attachment 12: Order 10 of the Ministry of Finance from 10.01.2001 for determining the fees for disclosure of public information .
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How to Get Access to Environmental Information - Handbook, 2003

The structure of this handbook grew out of a review of specific cases referred to the Access to Information Programme between 1997 and 2003 and the lawsuits conducted since 2000. The text of the handbook reflects on questions raised during discussions of the Environmental Protection Act and the Aarhus convention with representatives from the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water, Basin Directorates, NGOs and other institutions working for the preservation of the environment. The handbook presents part of the litigation initiated under the Environmental Protection Act, as well as selected passages from laws regulating access to information about the environment, model information requests and appeals, and useful links and addresses.
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How to Apply the Access to Public Information Act, Local Administration Handbook, 2001

This handbook describes the obligations of local authorities to provide information, the procedures they have to follow, and possible cases in which access can be denied. The handbook includes a model of a decision for providing partial access to information.
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How to Get Access to Information, Handbook for Citizens

This handbook published in 2000 explains the procedures established by the newly adopted Bulgarian law for exercising the right to information. Answers to the following questions are provided:
  • what is public information,
  • who is obliged to provide access to information,
  • how to request and receive information,
  • what answers can seekers expect, and
  • how can seekers appeal the decision of the administration.
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