
Tool ‘Access to Information’ introduced as a step towards greater transparency in BiH, supported by the European Union

Sarajevo, (Fena) – In Sarajevo, an online tool called “Access to Information” was officially presented. The platform allows the creation of requests for free access to information to all institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The tool, available at pristupinformacijama.ba, besides an automated and intuitive process for creating requests, allows citizens, media, and civil society organizations to draft and send urgencies and appeals and receive reminders for deadlines for each step of the process of obtaining public-interest information.
– The aim of this tool, whose development was supported by the European Union, is to strengthen access to information, thereby not only improving the transparency of public authorities but also the level of citizen participation in the work of institutions. This is the basic precondition for the democracy, openness, and responsibility of institutions – stated Aurelie Valtat, Head of the Department for EU Integration, Political Affairs, Press, and Information at the EU Delegation in BiH – announced Transparency International BiH.
Access to Information uses an intuitive and simple interface that guides users through each step of creating a request for free access to information and contains the names and addresses of several thousand public institutions, bodies, companies, and establishments at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina that citizens can contact.
– Our desire was to offer citizens a simple and intuitive way to compose a request themselves, to get information from the authorities that interest them, as this is one of the basic rights guaranteed by the laws on free access to information – stated Marko Vujić, a legal aid officer at Transparency International in BiH (TIBiH), who, together with the association Your Rights BiH (VPBiH), implemented this project.
It is important to emphasize that Access to Information allows the drafting of requests to all public bodies in BiH, automatically choosing the appropriate law depending on the level and jurisdiction of the institution from which information is requested, which further facilitates the process since there are currently as many as three laws regulating this area in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (31.01.)