International Right to Know Day observed

epa03642358 A Chinese technician debugs a row of video surveillance cameras for pubilc safety which are assembled on a pole in the Qingdao city, eastern China's Shandong province, 27 March 2013. China's public safety budget reaches at 128.989 billion yuan (Euros 16.227 billion) in 2013, up some nine per cent compared to last year, according to the Ministry of Finance. EPA/WU HONG

According to information from the Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency, 2.582 government bodies submitted their reports in 2012 concerning the implementation on the law on the right to information access, which is significantly higher than in 2010, for example, when only 854 bodies did so, the agency reported on Monday on the occasion of International Right to Know Day.

The agency’s director deputy, Dubravka Dolenc, told a press conference that the purpose of International Right to Know Day, which is celebrated September 28th, is to raise citizens’ awareness of the right to access information that government bodies posses.

This can be seen in the fact that last year 53,521 applications were submitted to access information as compared to 51,930 in 2011 and 12,340 in 2010.

Last year the agency handled 709 cases, of which 480 were appeals to decisions, 99 written enquiries, 101 applications referred to the work of government bodies and 16 related to other forms of communication with government bodies or political parties.

The agency is soon to be replaced by an Information Commissioner who is to be appointed by the Croatian Sabor.

The commissioner will have access to classified information, implement tests of public interest and have insight into inspections. “That means the commissioner will have the right to supervise the proper application of the law and introduce the possibility of punitive action”, the agency’s Deputy Director, Dubravka Dolenc, explained.