The Slovak National Party (SNS) has submitted to Parliament a bill proposing to introduce fees for providing information under the Freedom of Information Act.
The aim of the bill is to introduce a mechanism that would allow obliged individuals to manage the process of providing information more efficiently and to be reimbursed for the costs associated with extensive searches for and disclosure of information, explained SNS. "If the obliged individual will require payment for providing information, they will notify the applicant in writing of that fact, announcing the cost, before the information is provided. The notification will make clear on what basis and in what manner the level of the fee was calculated," reads the draft bill.
SNS pointed to long-standing issues in which obliged individuals are overwhelmed by "frequent or excessive requests for disclosure of information". According to the party, some requests require extremely extensive searches for information, which places a significant strain on administrative capacity and resources. The amendment, if approved, is proposed to enter into effect on December 1, 2024.
The amendment to the Free Access to Information bill takes away the public's constitutionally guaranteed right to information, several NGOs and opposition lawmakers warned on Tuesday. Organisations such as the EcoForum, Climate Coalition, Slovak Environmental Association and Spiral warned that the outcome will be the trampling of the public's right to information, enshrined in the Constitution. The organisations do not find the introduction of fees problematic per se, but warned that the legislation ushers in an arbitrariness regarding what sums are the people supposed to pay for which information and there is no option to lodge an appeal.
"The fundamental principle is that what's not secret is public. This is an unconstitutional, undemocratic and anti-social move. People have a right to information on what the state is doing with their money," declared Marcel Zajac of EcoForum.
(TASR)
