PARTICIPATION IN THE 6TH MEETING OF THE 2020 INITIATIVE IN PRIZREN, KOSOVO
The members of the Initiative 2020 — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia — gathered for their 6th Annual Meeting, held in Prizren, Kosovo, from 13 to 15 October 2025, to exchange experiences and discuss current developments and challenges in the field of the right of access to information.
The meeting focused on the functioning of administrative procedures and disputes, addressing the growing concern of administrative silence and the need to strengthen proactive transparency, monitoring, and enforcement mechanisms. The authorities acknowledged the importance of ensuring that adequate financial and human recourses are available to fully meet their responsibilities and to effectively support the expanding scope of their mandates.
Initiative 2020 expresses concern over recent developments impacting the functioning of the authorities, in particular the potential dismissal of the authorities governing body without legal grounds and/or the establishment of non-functional structure of authorities, which could seriously undermine the independence of the institutions.
Discussions additionally reflected on the alignment of national frameworks with European and international standards, including the principles of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (Tromsø Convention), as well as on the impact of digital transformation and emerging technologies. The authorities highlighted that while technological development creates new opportunities for openness and efficiency, it must equally respect the fundamental right of access to information.
This year’s meeting was joined by the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Data of Albania, in the capacity of the President of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC), who called for regional cooperation and joint initiatives in promoting transparency and strengthening the culture of accountability across the region.
The authorities reaffirmed their shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and the independence of decision-making as key elements for ensuring the right to information. They agreed to continue cooperation and professional exchange within the framework of the Initiative 2020 to further strengthen the implementation of access to information across the region.
The members of the Initiative 2020 invite the authorities to ensure their institutional, functional, financial and any other independence of the regulatory authorities in accordance with European standards in this field.
The next annual meeting of the Initiative 2020 will be hosted by the Slovenian authority in 2026.
