Law on information access is good, but not implemented appropriately- national and international experts

law on information access is one of the best laws in Moldova, but there are still many problems regarding its implementation, Claus Neukirch, the spokesman of OSCE Mission to Moldova said at the seminar „Press access to official information”, held on Tuesday, 28 February. „For Moldova that chose the integration within the European Unions is necessary to walk towards a European society,” Neukirch noted. The first step in this sense is to reform the legislative framework, the second – the laws has to be implemented in practice in European style. At his turn, the head of Information Office of the council of Europe (CoE), Lilia Snegureac, talked about a „ recalcitrant attitude of public aqdministration towards citizens’ access to information” and about the fact that the law is good, but is not implemented in practice. As long as it remains a dead letter and continues to be spread the secret of certain types of information, the citizens’ right is violated,” she also noted. On the other hand, the manager of the Centre Acces-info, Vasile Spinei, said that they’re no problem of access to information in Moldova. Reporters, NGOs and employees create the problems. The shortcoming nr.1, Spinei mentioned, is the lack or non-functioning of the sites of certain institutions, where has to introduced any type of information. In Netherlands state institutions do not deal with information requirements. There any information is made public on the site, Spinei said. The legislation in this field in Moldova is good, the manager of Acces-info said, but it need support. Now the institution he runs, together with a group of reporters work on a draft bill regarding the decisional transparency of the institutions. The international practice showed that such a law has a positive result, Spinei reported. Two-day seminar „Press access to official information” is organised by Acces-info with support of CoE and Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe. Besides the specialists and employees of Moldova, the seminar is attended by experts of Australia, Great Britain, USA etc.