On paper, the Western Balkans have some of the most progressive Freedom of Information (FOI) laws in Europe. All OGP members in the region, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia have made more than 20 commitments to advance the right to information through OGP. Despite having comparatively strong FOI laws according to the RTI Rating, these countries still face challenges in implementing the right of access to information to its fullest extent. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges in implementing these laws. the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) found that access to information in the region worsened during the pandemic. Read more here.
Spruce: OGP
