6 February 2012 –During the round table “Implementation of the Law on Access to Public Documents” held on 30 January 2012, which was organised by the Ombudsperson Institution and supported by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, representatives of the public institutions, civil society and Media jointly discussed identification of the challenges related to Law on Access to Public Documents.

Several recommendations came out from this round table whose implementation will be a positive impulse for effective implementation of the Law on Access to Public Documents. These recommendations will be forwarded to competent authorities and institutions whose will is necessary in order to make the Law on Access to Public Documents enforceable. Free access to official documents increases the transparency of the public institutions and makes the public institutions accountable before the citizens of our country.

Recommendations:

• To analyse the Law on Access to Public Documents in order to identify the shortcomings of the law and adoption of by-laws, as this could help implementation of the law.

• To harmonize the laws related to access to public documents ( Law on Access to Public Documents, the Law on Classification of the Information and Verification of Security, Law on Protection of Personal Data etc.)

• Classifications of documents and drafting list of documents based on the classifications in every public institution in order to avoid arbitrariness in access or furnishing with official documents.

• Assignment of persons in charge of receipt of requests for access to public documents in the institutions in which such assignment has not been done so far.

• Information campaign for the citizens regarding possibilities that Law on Access to Public Documents offers.

• Coordinated handling of the requests and complaints for denial and refusal of access to public documents with the State Agency for Protection of Personal Data.