The Access to Public Information Act (APIA) turned 25 on July 7, 2025. Among those who use it to obtain copies of documents and other information from public institutions, it is known as "The Citizens' Law." Every year, between 10,000 and 15,000 people submit requests for access to public information—by email, on paper, or orally.
In the past year, 2024, a total of 13,018 requests for access to public information were submitted. The largest share came from citizens (8,476), followed by non-governmental organizations (2,338), business entities (1,237), and journalists (904). Out of all requests, 8,067 were submitted via email, and 1,900 through the Access to Information Platform, which was created with the 2015 amendments to the APIA (effective since 2016).
The APIA is the most powerful tool for the ordinary citizen to demand accountability from the institutions elected to represent them. It is also a means for exposing irregularities and corruption, as seen in the investigations conducted by journalists and NGOs. For businesses, it enables a more transparent, fair, and competitive environment. It also supports another core democratic value—participation in decision-making processes.
Since its adoption, the APIA has been amended exactly 20 times, which is relatively infrequent compared to many other Bulgarian laws—an indication of its solid legislative quality. No significant amendment has occurred without the involvement of the Access to Information Programme (AIP)—whether during working group discussions, debates in parliamentary committees, or public forums.
Administrative courts are responsible for ensuring that the letter and spirit of the law are respected. Anyone dissatisfied with a refusal or decision by an administrative body can file a complaint. Since 2018, APIA cases are reviewed in a single-instance court, and the time from submission to a final ruling typically does not exceed a few months. In 2024, 70.50% of court decisions under the APIA were in favor of the applicants, meaning more than two-thirds of all cases.
When the law was adopted in 2000, there were about 25 similar laws worldwide. Today, there are 140. Over the years, AIP experts have been invited to present the law and its application in countries across Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa.
Although the APIA is valuable to citizens and journalists, it is not always favored by those in power and certain segments of the administration. As a result, attacks against it continue. In 2023, a group of MPs attempted to undermine its strength and effectiveness, but they failed thanks to a strong public campaign that led Parliament to reject their proposals. Now, the APIA faces another challenge, as a request has been filed for an interpretative decision by the Supreme Administrative Court aiming to exclude a large portion of prosecutorial documents from the law’s scope. AIP has asked the court's president to allow it to participate in the interpretative case.
The right to access information is an inseparable part of democracy, and in a symbolic way, the 25th anniversary of the law coincided with the European Parliament’s vote for Bulgaria’s admission to the Eurozone.