Representatives of public institutions in North Macedonia strengthened their knowledge and practical skills on access to public information, during a specialised capacity-building activity organised in Skopje.  within the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023–2026.”

The activity, “Access to Public Information – European Standards and Practical Application,” was organised in co-operation with the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information and aimed to ensure a more effective implementation of the right of access to information by public officials. 
The event provided an opportunity to discuss European standards and domestic legislation governing access to public information, with particular attention to their practical application. Participants explored challenges encountered in handling requests for information and exchanged experiences on how public institutions can ensure greater transparency and more effective access to information in their daily work.
Particular attention was devoted to the principles stemming from the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (Tromsø Convention) and their relevance to the implementation of the legal framework in North Macedonia. Through practical examples and discussions, participants examined how European standards can support public institutions in balancing the right of access to information with legitimate restrictions, while ensuring that any limitations are interpreted and applied appropriately.
This initiative is implemented by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression within the framework of the action on “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in North Macedonia”, under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.