ABOUT THE CONVENTION

The Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (CETS No. 205), also known as the Tromsø Convention, entered into force on 1 December 2020.

It has 15 Parties: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Montenegro, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.

The Tromsø Convention was the first binding international legal instrument to recognise to everyone the right to access official documents held by public authorities without discrimination and regardless of the requester's status or motives in seeking access.

All official documents are in principle public and can be withheld subject only to the protection of other rights and legitimate interests specifically listed in the Convention unless there is an overriding public interest in disclosure.

The Tromsø Convention sets down minimum standards for the prompt and fair processing of requests for access to official documents by public authorities holding the documents as well as for internal administrative reviews and appeals to independent bodies or courts in case of request denials.

 

It is open to accession by any State which is not a member of the Council of Europe or any international organisation in accordance with the requirements of Article 17 of the Convention.

Upcoming meetings

ACCESS INFO GROUP
         6th meeting
         29-31 May 2024