The right to access information is a fundamental human right, protected by numerous international conventions and the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and the Act on the Right of Access to Information.
The right to access information is exercised in two ways: by proactively publishing information on the websites of public authorities and by sending requests for access to information to public authorities.
Therefore, the right to access information includes the user's right to request and obtain information, as well as the obligation of the public authority to provide access to the requested information.
Information can be requested from public authorities - which work in the public interest, are financed with public funds or were established by the state, county, city or municipality, or their legal entities.
Public authorities from which you can request information are state bodies (e.g. the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Parliament, the President of the Republic of Croatia), state administration bodies (e.g. ministries, state administration offices), judicial bodies (courts, state attorney's offices), local self-government (municipalities, cities, counties), bodies with public powers and bodies performing public service (e.g. schools and universities, health institutions, centers for social welfare, agencies and institutes, chambers), companies with major public ownership and other legal entities financed from the state budget or from the budget of local and regional self-government units.
In regards to the Information Commisioner themselves, the Commisioner protects, monitors and promotes the right to access and reuse information guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. The Croatian Parliament elects the Information Commisioner based on a public call for a period of five years with the possibility of re-election.
The basic tasks of the Commissioner for Information relate to the implementation of the second-instance procedure in cases of the right to access information and the reuse of information, inspection supervision, supervision over the implementation of laws, the establishment of international cooperation and cooperation with the bodies of the European Union, as well as cooperation with domestic professional authorities and public authorities, informing the public and promoting the right to access to information, and proposing measures and programs for training in the area of the right to access information.
The commissioner is autonomous and independent in their work and is accountable to the Croatian Parliament for their work.
Read more about the access to information.