In order to enhance the execution of the right of access to informationin Bulgaria in line with 2008 amendments to the Access to PublicInformation Act and push for the ratification of the Council of EuropeConvention on Access to Official Documents, Access to InformationProgramme (AIP) initiated Public Awareness Campaign on New Standards inthe Access to Information Area. The campaign is supported by a grantfrom Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA FinancialMechanism.

During 2009 a large number of lawsuits for access to information werebrought with the AIP legal support. As in previous years some courtbattles have been successful, others have been lost. Some, such as thestory related to the contract between the Bulgarian administration andMicrosoft have been again postponed. The rich case law allows us todraw some conclusions and trends in the court practice. 

Despite the broad public and media campaign against certain proposed amendmentsto the Electronic Communications Act, they passed first reading in theparliament on December 22, 2009. Despite the public consultationinitiated by the Ministry of Interior, the amendments intend tointroduce direct access of the MoI to citizens’ telecommunication data.AIP has led been leading the campaign against uncontrolled access to the telecommunication data for a second successive year.