New guide on access to information launched in Europe

A new guide for journalists on how to access government information was launched in Berlin on 3 May (World Press Freedom Day). "The Legal Leaks Toolkit" was prepared by the non-governmental organisations Access Info Europe and Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe n-ost with financial support from the office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

The guide informs about the rules of access, appeal procedures and other important aspects of access to information in the 45 OSCE participating States that have access to information laws. While not directly relevant to NATO, which remains one of the few intergovernmental organisations without a formal information disclosure policy, the guide does provide useful guidance for investigative journalists operating within member countries of the Alliance, as well as giving links to copies of the Access to Information Laws in the majority of the European NATO member states, the US and Canada.