The Office of the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Personal Data Protection has approved two model Transparency programs for public authorities and local self-government units, in fulfillment of the legal obligations arising from Law No. 119/2014 “On the Right to Information”, as amended.
Transparency model programs constitute essential instruments of proactive transparency, guaranteeing public access to information and documentation of a public nature, reducing the need to submit individual requests for information, and increasing the level of institutional accountability of public authorities.
The assessment of the existing regulatory framework has shown that previous models have been functional and successful in organizing information sections and sub-sections.
However, subsequent legal and institutional developments, including the adoption of Council of Europe Convention No. 205, legal changes in the field of the right to information, the consolidation of right to information law enforcement practices, as well as the acceleration of the European integration process, have created the need for further adaptation and consolidation of these models.
The Transparency Model Program for Local Self-Government Units foresees the inclusion of a new area dedicated to the activity of Municipal Councils as one of the most important bodies of LGUs, as well as the implementation of this model by regional councils, with the aim of strengthening the transparency of the decision-making process at the local level.
The adoption of these model programs consolidates the positive experience of the implementation of proactive transparency to date, increases the usability of public information, and transforms transparency into a more effective instrument in the service of citizens, civil society, the media, and public institutions.
