Belgium shares the wob-league with Uzbekistan

BRUSSELS – 07 / 09 / 2009 - Freedom of Information Legislation is on the move worldwide, but Belgium is still playing with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the name and shame league of poor performers.

By Rafael Porto Carrero

Less than one in 100.000 Belgians use their right to file information requests to get information from their authorities according to Dutch wob expert Roger Vleugels. This leaves Belgium among a country with poor practice on the level of Uzbekistan. Unfortunately Belgium is not the exception to the rule on the old continent.

Mr Vleugels composed an overview of all 90 countries that passed Freedom of Information legislation. Western Europe is widely considered as a beacon for press freedom. However it does not set the same standards when it comes to transparency and freedom of information. Germany charges its citizens high costs while the British and Scottish governments can veto information requests.

The list, regularly updated by Roger Vleugels, for the first time also includes direct links to many of the laws themselves. Thus the list is turned in a useful tool for wobbers, if they want to apply in other countries than their own.

Another new feature in the Vleugels-list is an overview over number of written requests. In the countries, where such requests are registered, the United States win the gold medal with 495 requests per year per 100.000 inhabitants, followed by Bulgaria with 175 and Mexico with 98.

Further information:

FRINGE SPECIAL - Overview of all 90 FOIA countries and territories by Roger Vleugels (pdf, 385 KB)

Press Freedom Index 2008 by Reporters Without Borders