The Council of Europe’s Access Info Group (AIG), an independent group of experts created to monitor the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents by its parties, published today its first baseline evaluation report on Armenia, informs Aravot.

The report contains a comprehensive analysis of compatibility of the Armenian Law on Freedom of Information enacted in September 2003 with the Tromso Convention.

The AIG considers that while the law covers a broad range of public authorities, it should make clear that all entities exercising administrative authority and all information that is held by public authorities fall within its scope of application.

The AIG also concludes that other improvements of the law are needed to ensure compliance with the treaty, notably by guaranteeing the right of access to official documents without any discrimination, ensuring the balancing of interests in confidentiality with the public interest in accessing official documents, and ensuring an expeditious review procedure in case of denials of access.

Armenia ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents on June, 24 2020. The treaty entered into force in the country on September 1, 2022.