Adoption of legislation on Right to Information and Transparency: Albania makes great progress

Albania has risen to the 7th place in the global ranking for legislation on the right to information and transparency, a significant climb compared to the 86th position the country occupied in 2014 when it first adopted the law “On the Right to Information.”

Context

Albania’s steady progress is also recognized by the European Commission’s 2023 Progress Report. Key measures that have transformed the situation include the proactive publication of draft government documents, notifications, legal impact assessments, and reports from public consultations on a dedicated online platform.

There has also been a steady increase in the number of public authorities mandated to implement transparency programs, which has risen from 145 in 2015 to 332 by 2023. Furthermore, the establishment in 2018 of a central registry for requests and responses in 222 public authorities has laid a solid foundation for widespread information dissemination.

In a landmark move in 2023, Albania further enhanced its transparency legal framework with the adoption of legislation on open data and the reuse of public sector information. This initiative has made a wealth of information accessible to the public through the portal opendata.gov.al.

Despite these steps, challenges remain in bridging the gap between legislative intent and practical implementation. The prevailing administrative mindset still perceives the disclosure of information as unnecessary exposure, often hindering the accessibility or speed at which public information is made available.