The Centre for Civic Education (CCE) has published Guide for Users of the Freedom to Information Law, aimed at citizens, non-governmental organizations, journalists, and other interested parties, to help them navigate the procedures for obtaining necessary information from public sector bodies in Montenegro.
The guide is written in language understandable to the general public and provides meaningful and precise answers to the most common questions regarding the right to free access to information. The authors are Nikola Obradović, Itana Gogić and Mira Popović Trstenjak, and it is available in electronic edition on the CCE website.
The first part of the guide interprets the basic concepts related to free access to information within the context of the current legal framework in Montenegro, while the second part explains the steps that the person seeking information takes in order to exercise this right.
In this way, many questions are covered, such as who has the right to free access to information, how to send a request for information, to who information can be requested, how the right to access information is exercised, how to send a request, what are the deadlines for the government response, what is the procedure for appealing to the Agency for Personal Data Protection and Free Access to Information (AZLP), as well as possible steps in case of dissatisfaction with the AZLP’s decision. Practical examples of requests for free access to information are also an integral part, and a complaint form for the Agency for the Protection of Personal Data and Free Access to Information.
This guide is not only an informative material but also a unique tool that can further empower citizens and other interested actors to exercise their rights, thereby promoting transparency and accountability of the authorities.
The guide was developed within the project “Transparent Authorities – Informed Citizens,” implemented by the CCE with financial support from the Ministry of Public Administration. Its content is the sole responsibility of the authors and CCE.
Nikola Obradović, Programme Assistant