This book examines the issue of free access to information as part of the openness and transparency principles. The free access to public information has become one of the most hotly contested aspects of contemporary government and public administration. Many countries in Europe have well-established Freedom of Information laws (FOIAs), while others have adopted them more recently. The problems that occur in the implementation of FOIAs are different due to the legal and institutional context; nevertheless, patterns of best practices and malfunctioning are comparable. The book analyses in comparative and empirical perspective the respective main challenges. Whilst the existing literature focusses on the legal provisions, this book offers practical insights through 13 national profiles and the EU level, on how effective the legal provisions of FOIAs really prove to be.

Provides comparative and empirical data on the implementation of Freedom of Information laws (FOIAs) across, Western, Southern Central and Eastern Europe Combines contributions from an expert team of editors and contributors drawn from the the European Group of Public Administration's (EGPA) Law and Administration Panel Appeals to students and scholars of public administration, law, political science, sociology, and communication sciences

Autorentext
Dacian C. Dragos is Jean Monnet Professor of Administrative and European Law and Co-director of the Center for Good Governance Studies at the Babes Bolyai University, Romania. Since 2010 he has chaired the Law and Administration panel of the European Group of Public Administration (EGPA). His research publications include several edited books, over 20 chapters in international books, and over 50 papers in scientific journals.
Polonca Kova is an Associate Professor of Administrative Law and Public Administration at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is as a steering committee member of the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe (NISPAcee) and a co-director of the Law and Administration panel of the EGPA. She is an editor and author of numerous scientific articles and books, and an OECD/SIGMA expert.
A. T. (Bert) Marseille is Professor ofPublic Administration at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He is a co-director of the Law and Administration panel of the EGPA, a member of the steering committee for the promotion of Empirical Legal Studies in the Netherlands, chair of the Section North of the Dutch Association for Public Administration, and an editor of the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Bestuursrecht.

Klappentext
Dacian C. Dragos is Jean Monnet Professor of Administrative and European Law and Co-director of the Center for Good Governance Studies at the Babes Bolyai University, Romania. Since 2010 he has chaired the Law and Administration panel of the European Group of Public Administration (EGPA). His research publications include several edited books, over 20 chapters in international books, and over 50 papers in scientific journals.
Polonca Kova is an Associate Professor of Administrative Law and Public Administration at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is as a steering committee member of the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe (NISPAcee) and a co-director of the Law and Administration panel of the EGPA. She is an editor and author of numerous scientific articles and books, and an OECD/SIGMA expert.
A. T. (Bert) Marseille is Professor of Public Administration at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He is a co-director of the Law and Administration panel of the EGPA, a member of the steering committee for the promotion of Empirical Legal Studies in the Netherlands, chair of the Section North of the Dutch Association for Public Administration, and an editor of the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Bestuursrecht.
This book examines the issue of free access to information as part of the openness and transparency principles. The free access to public information has become one of the most hotly contested aspects of contemporary government and public administration. Many countries in Europe have well-established Freedom of Information laws (FOIAs), while others have adopted them more recently. The problems that occur in the implementation of FOIAs are different due to the legal and institutional context; nevertheless, patterns of best practices and malfunctioning are comparable. The book analyses in comparative and empirical perspective the respective main challenges. Whilst the existing literature focusses on the legal provisions, this book offers practical insights through 13 national profiles and the EU level, on how effective the legal provisions of FOIAs really prove to be.

Inhalt
Chapter 1 Dacian C. Dragos, Polonca Kova, A. T. Marseille: From the Editors: The Story of a Data Driven Comparative Legal Research Project on FOIA Implementation in Europe.- Chapter 2 Bogdana Neamtu, Dacian C. Dragos: Freedom of Information in the European Union - Legal Challenges and Practices of EU Institutions.- Chapter 3 Yseult Marique, Emmanuel Slautsky: Freedom of Information in France: Law and Practice.- Chapter 4 Stef Keunen, Steven Van Garsse: Access to Information in Belgium.- Chapter 5 Kars J. de Graaf, A. T. Marseille, Hanna D. Tolsma: Transparency and Access to Government Information in the Netherlands.- Chapter 6 Christoph Emanuel Mueller, Bettina Engewald, Marius Herr: Freedom of Information in Germany.- Chapter 7 Paola Savona, Anna Simonati: Transparency in Action in Italy: The Triple Right of Access and Its Complicated Life.- Chapter 8 Polonca Kova: Slovenia on the Path to Proactive Transparency.- Chapter 9 Anamarija Musa:Croatia: The Transparency Landscape.- Chapter 10 Petra Lea Láncos: Freedom of Information in Hungary A Shifting Landscape.- Chapter 11 Bianca Radu, Dacian C. Dragos: Freedom of Information in Romania Legal and Empirical Insights.- Chapter 12 Stanislav Kadeka, Jan Bro, Luká Rothanzl: The Laws of Transparency in Action: Freedom of Information in the Czech Republic.- Chapter 13 Dobrosav Milovanovi, Marko Davini, Vuk Cuci, Free Access to Information in Serbia.- Chapter 14 Special report Alexander Balthasar, Access to Information held by Public Authorities in Austria.- Chapter 15 Special report Pernille Boye Koch, Rikke Gottrup, Michael Gøtze: Transparency on a Bumpy Road Denmark.- Chapter 16 Dacian C. Dragos, Elika Drapalova, A. T. Marseille: A Brief Comparative Outlook on the Regulation of Parties, Procedure and Exceptions in Different FOIAs.- Chapter 17 Polonca Kova: Legal Remedies in Exercising the RTI - a Comparative Overview.