Formats for access to public information

Article 26(1) of the Bulgarian Access to Public Information Act sets out the forms of access discussed here: inspection of the information in the original or in a copy; an oral account; paper copies; and copies on a technical storage medium. Article 27(1) requires the authority to respect the applicant’s preferred form unless (1) it is technically impossible; (2) it would result in an unjustified increase in the cost of providing access; or (3) it would create the possibility of unlawful processing of the information or infringement of copyright. Under Article 27(2), where one of the exceptions in paragraph 1 applies, the authority determines the form in which access will be provided. The starting point for an administrative authority receiving an application is thus to supply the requested information in the form chosen by the applicant. It may depart from that rule only in the cases exhaustively listed in Article 27(1), and the administrative decision itself must explain the concrete facts that justify doing so. If the authority fails to provide information in any of the forms requested in the application, it must identify the specific facts and circumstances that bring its decision within one of those statutory exceptions.

This article is not a legal opinion or advice about a particular situation or person. For legal assistance in a similar case, consult a civil lawyer experienced in the application of the Access to Public Information Act.