Raising PSI Awareness
The Greek Ombudsman held a seminar to raise the awareness of the rights of citizens and organisation with respect to public sector information and its re-use. The seminar commenced at noon and ended at 2000 hours local time. The second half of the seminar program included a presentation from the Inspector General of Public Administration that dealt with the re-use of public sector information and law number 3448/2006, which incorporates the transposition of the European Union Directive 2003/98 on the re-use of public sector.
A rough translation of the press release published by the Ombudsman’s office on the 24 February 2009 states:
The Ombudsman held a workshop Monday 23 February 2009 on Access to public sector information and transparency.
The aim of the workshop was to present the experience accumulated by the Authority and other entities in implementing the provisions that the right of citizens and the attitude of the administration.
In addition to the Ombudsman speakers from the Legal Council of State, the Data Protection Authority, the Council of State, the Inspector General of Public Administration.
The conclusions of the workshop are:
- The right to information and knowledge of administrative data, despite the Constitutional guarantees are often hampered by various legislative provisions not fully reflect the constitutional imperative both in scope of, and to its object.
- Management displays a caution against granting access to documents and often refuses access without sufficient justification.
- Access should be granted after balancing interests (protection personal data, child rights, protecting weaker, etc.).
- There is an urgent need for codification of the provisions have varied (national and European) origin
The Public Data campaign to open the Greek government data to all Greek citizens reports on the meeting.
The E-Law blog also reports on the meeting and the report states (translated):
“Mr Leandros Rakintzis, General Inspector of Public Administration, entitled "Re-use of public sector information" provided in Article 5 of N.3448/2006. Accordingly, if a public agency does not issue documents for further use, then, and then by an unsuccessful application for a right of appeal before GEDD. Mr. Rakintzis said that so far four (4) such appeals had been received and in one case, the agency was ordered to surrender the documents for further use appealed against the decision GEDD before the Council of State!”
The Greek national meeting on PSI
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