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Transparency Advice Center
July 2017 – December 2019
Financed by America for Bulgaria Foundation

The America for Bulgaria Foundation assists in strengthening a vibrant market economy and the institutions of democratic society in Bulgaria, helping the country to realize its full potential as a successful, modern European nation. The America for Bulgaria Foundation seeks to enhance the longstanding legacy of goodwill and friendship between the American and Bulgarian people and through many of its programs, to promote the US – Bulgaria people-to-people contacts and exchange of ideas and resources. The Foundation represents the generous face of the American people and embodies the highest standards of US ethical conduct, transparency, and core values.

Support for the Access to Information Programme is provided by the America for Bulgaria Foundation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the Access to Information Programme and do not necessarily reflect the views of the America for Bulgaria Foundation or its affiliates.

 

The goal for the project is to continue the advocacy and pressure for more transparent and accountable institutions and encourage citizens to form informed opinion.

Activities:

  1. Advocacy for primary and secondary legislation in view of effective standards for transparent, accountable and open government.
  2. Monitoring and advocacy for better access to information implementation practices.
  3. Provision of legal aid in access to information cases with a potential to increase government accountability and improve the conditions for business and investment in Bulgaria.
  4. Raising awareness campaign and education on access to information.
  5. Communication of all access to information achievements, success stories via the AIP communication channels and the media.
  6. Participation in national and international networks to exchange experience and increase the scope of advocacy work.

Results:

Within the project, AIP prepared, submitted and presented 12 legal statements on proposed amendments to primary and secondary legislation. They are available at: www.aip-bg.org/en/legislation/legalopinions/2019/

AIP legal team has provided legal aid in 402 cases. Information is available at: www.aip-bg.org/en/cases/Cases/105307/.

Information on court cases, in which AIP has provided legal representation: www.aip-bg.org/en/cases/

Forth Alumni Access to Information Class

On January 17, 2020, the Access to Information Programme (AIP) presented certificates to the students from professional program “Public Communications and Information Sciences” at the New Bulgarian University for successfully passing the practical course “Access to Information Public Communications.” The AIP delivers the course for a forth year, encompassing the period November – December 2019 in partnership with the Mass Communications Department of the New Bulgarian University and is within the project Transparency Advice Center supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.?


2019 Active Transparency Rating

On April 19, 2019 at the Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency, Sofia, the Access to Information Programme (AIP) presented the Results from 2019 AIP audit on institutional web sites. The results are online available: https://data.aip-bg.org/en/surveys/BAV422/

The aim of the audit is to evaluate how the executive bodies fulfill their obligations for proactive disclosure of information online under the Access to Public Information Act (APIA) and other legal regulations and to assess how they respond to electronic requests.

In the lack of a public body to coordinate and control the implementation of the APIA, including the obligations for proactive publication of information, the AIP Audit serves as a model publication scheme for public bodies to increase their active transparency.

Analysis of the results were published in the April 2019 issue of the AIP monthly FOI newsletter (in Bulgarian).

The audit was performed within the project Transparency Advice Centersupported by a grant from America for Bulgaria Foundation.


AIP Held the Annual Meeting with Its Coordinators

The AIP held the annual working meeting with the journalists from its coordinators network in the country on February 15, 2019 in Sofia.

17 coordinators from the regional cities took part. AIP’ team presented key achievements from AIP advocacy activities in 2018. The 2019 goals and challenges before AIP and the coordinators' network were outlined. AIP presented the 2018 legislative initiatives, characteristics of the legal aid provided during 2018, including the cases in which AIP had provided representation in court, and developments regarding Bulgaria’s implementation of the Third National Action Plan within the global Open Government Partnership initiative.

Overview of the meeting was published in the February 2019 issue of the AIP e-Newsletter.

Pictures are available in AIP Gallery and on AIP Facebook page.

The annual meeting was held within the project Transparency Advice Center supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.


Third Class of Access to Information Course Alumni

On January 25, 2019, the Access to Information Programme (AIP) presented certificates to the students from professional program “Public Communications and Information Sciences” at the New Bulgarian University for successfully passing the practical course “Access to Information Public Communications.” The AIP delivers the course for a third year, encompassing the period November 2018 – January 2019.

AIP Executive Director Dr Gergana Jouleva, and the lawyers from the AIP legal team Alexander Kashumov, Kiril Terziiski, and Stephan Anguelov were the course lecturers. The syllabus included access to information standards and legislation, as well as specific examples of the Access to Public Information Act use, especially for journalistic investigations.

As a practical assignment, the students prepared access to information requests on a diversity of topics and sent them by e-mail to different institutions.

The course is held in partnership with the Mass Communications Department of the New Bulgarian University and is within the project Transparency Advice Center supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.


16th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony

On Septeber 28, 2019, the AIP held the 16th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony. FOI activists from Sofia and the country gathered at the Literature club Peroto (The Quill) in the National Palace of Culture – Sofia to celebrate the 16th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony. Among the guests were partner NGOs, journalists, academia; officials from executive bodies and municipalities. The Deputy Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria addressed the audience for the occasion. The 2018 Right to Know Day Awards Jury selected the winners in six categories out of 35 nominations.

The September issue of the AIP monthly Newsletter (in Bulgarian) was dedicated to the 16th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony, containing interviews with the awardees.

Pictures from the ceremony are uploaded at AIP web site http://www.aip-bg.org/about/gallery/109029/ and on Facebook.

In 2018, the celebration of the Right to Know Day was possible due to the generosity of backers in the AIP crowdfunding campaign in the Indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/FOI-Champions-Day-Bulgaria/x, and by individual and corporate donations to the AIP bank account.


Annual Report Access to Information in Bulgaria

Findings and conclusions from the AIP seventeenth annual report were presented at a pressconference held in the Bulgarian News Agency on May 22, 2018 and contains:

  • recommendations related to the access to information legal framework and its implementation;
  • assessment of the regulations in the access to information area;
  • analysis of the results from the assessment of the proactive transparency of 567 institutions for 2018;
  • analyses of the access to information cases referred to AIP for legal help and consultation during 2017;
  • tendencies in the court practices on access to information cases in 2017 and summaries of cases in which AIP has provided court representation.

The report also contains 7 Annexes.

Annex 1: Institutional Information - Legal Basis, Functions, Public Services, Information Data Bases and Information Resources
Annex 2: Operational Information - Acts, Development Strategies, Plans, Activities and Activity Reports
Annex 3: Financial Transparency - Budget, Financial, Public Procurement, and Integrity Information 
Annex 4: Access to Information Section - information about the right of access to information and how to exercise it
Annex 5: Data Only for MUNICIPALITIES
Annex 6: Summary of Data from the AIP Data Base with Cases Referred for Consultation and Legal Help in 2017
Annex 7: Litigation 2017 - Annotation of Cases

The Bulgarian version is downloadable at: http://store.aip-bg.org//publications/ann_rep_bg/report2017.pdf?. English translation follows.


2018 Active Transparency Rating

On April 18, 2018 at the Press Club of the Bulgarian News Agency, Sofia, the Access to Information Programme (AIP) presented the Results from 2018 AIP audit on institutional web sites.  The results are available here: http://www.aip-bg.org/en/surveys/2018/108021/.

The aim of the audit is to evaluate how the executive bodies fulfill their obligations for proactive disclosure of information online under the Access to Public Information Act (APIA) and other legal regulations and to assess how they respond to electronic requests.

In the lack of a public body to coordinate and control the implementation of the APIA, including the obligations for proactive publication of information, the AIP Audit serves as a model publication scheme for public bodies to increase their active transparency.

Analysis of the results were published in the April issue of the AIP monthly FOI newsletter.

The audit is performed within the project Transparency Advice Center supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.


AIP Held the 2018 Meeting with Its Coordinators

The AIP held the annual working meeting with the journalists from its coordinators network in the country on March 9, 2018 in Sofia.

13 coordinators from the regional cities took part. AIP’ team presented key achievements from AIP advocacy activities in 2017. The 2018 goals and challenges before AIP and the coordinators' network were outlined. AIP presented the 2017 legislative initiatives, characteristics of the legal aid provided during 2017, including the cases in which AIP had provided representation in court, and developments regarding Bulgaria’s implementation of the Third National Action Plan within the global Open Government Partnership initiative.

Overview of the meeting was published in the March 2018 issue of the AIP e-Newsletter (in Bulgarian).

The Annual "Coordinator of the Year" Award was presented to the coordinator for Pazardzhik region Todor Grozdev. Interview with him can be found in the March 2018 issue of the AIP monthly FOI newsletter.

Pictures are available in AIP Gallery and on AIP Facebook page.

The annual meeting was held within the project Transparency Advice Center supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.


End of the Second Students Access to Information and Public Communications Course

On January 19, 2018, the Access to Information Programme (AIP) presented certificates to the students from professional program “Public Communications and Information Sciences” at the New Bulgarian University for successfully passing the practical course “Access to Information Public Communications.” The AIP delivers the course for a second year, encompassing the period November 2017 – January 2018.

As a practical assignment, the students prepared access to information requests on a diversity of topics and sent them by e-mail to different institutions. The AIP lawyers assisted the formulation of the requests and the identifying of the responsible institutions.

Students prepared articles on their access to information experience that would be published in the AIP monthly FOI newsletter.

The course is held in partnership with the Mass Communications Department of the New Bulgarian University and is within the project Transparency Advice Center supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.


15th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony

The Access to Information Programme held the 15th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony on 28 September 2017. Over 100 FOI activists from Sofia and the country gathered at the Literature club Peroto (The Quill)in the National Palace of Culture – Sofia. Among the guests were partner NGOs, journalists, academia; officials from executive bodies and municipalities. The 2017 Right to Know Day Awards Jury selected the winners in six categories out of 45 nominations.

The September issue of the AIP monthly Newsletter (in Bulgarian) was dedicated to the 15th Right to Know Day Awards Ceremony, containing interviews with the awardees.

Pictures from the ceremony on the AIP Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/AIPbulgaria/.

In 2017, the RKD Awards Ceremony was possible thanks to the funds raised by the AIP via the platform Indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/irtkd2017-Bulgaria/x and was held within the project Transparency Advice Center supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation.

 

 

 


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