Improving access to information for the public interest in Europe

The right of access to information, or Freedom of Information (FOI), is a powerful tool by which citizens, journalists and civil society can scrutinize the activities of government and is one of the cornerstones of a healthy democracy. However, it can be difficult for people to put this right into practice.

In this project, mySociety – UK Citizens online Democracy will work with local partners across Europe to build online platforms that make it easy for anyone to submit an FOI request, powered by mySociety’s open source Alaveteli software. The project will also support investigative journalists and campaigners to effectively use FOI tools in their work to uncover information and hold power to account.

The project is supported with 2,220,000 SEK.

What the project delivers

Online FOI platforms in 12 European countries; software improvements that make it easier to make and manage FOI requests; and training and support to journalists and campaigners to use FOI to generate public interest stories and campaigns.

Why we support this project

By enabling citizens, journalists and civil society to access information and monitor public authorities, the project helps promote greater transparency and accountability.