Hamburg is the Most Transparent State of Germany!
On October 6th, 2012, Hamburg’s Transparency Law come into effect. This groundbreaking Freedom of Information Act changes the right of citizens to get information from their government and administration into a duty of both to publish this information.
From now on citizens have the right to request on information by the new citizen friendly rules. In addition, within two years, the government of Hamburg has to set up an information register that can be reached free of charge and anonymously on the internet. In the information register publish informations such as senate resolutions, building permits, contracts concerning public services, statistics, geo data and expert appraisal.
Hamburg's new Transparency Law can have a huge impact on society and administration. Distrust can be reduced when anyone can see how decisions were made and what they were based on. The work of the administration can get easier when the different authorities do not have to get physical records that are located somewhere else, but can just look up the information needed on the internet. The work of organisations and media can be simplified when they have better access to information. Corruption can be discouraged when employees of authorities know that their work may be checked by someone.
Our initiative is looking forward to see how this landmark of governmental openness will be implemented.
Hamburg’s Transparency Law to open government more than ever
The Beatles played their first concert in Hamburg. Hamburg’s harbour is one of Europe’s largest. Now Hamburg, one of Germany’s 16 federal states, also has one of the world’s best transparency laws. Passed in mid-June, the new law sets a precedent that might resonate in the worldwide open government community. [mehr]
Documents...
- Brief explanation about the content of the law.
- If you want to learn more about the Transparency Law, just download our presentation.
- Transparency Act (full version)
For questions and comments, feel free to write us an e-mail to info@transparenzgesetz.de
Transparency Law Hamburg
Like ten other States of Germany and the Republic itself, Hamburg has a Freedom Of Information Act. These laws all follow the same principle: Citizens can obtain information by requesting information and paying a fee for it. This is time-consuming, troublesome, expensive and not always successful.
We want to turn this principle around by implementing a central information register in which information can be obtained free of charge and anonymously by anyone. For this, we need a Transparency Law. The aim of this law is to facilitate access to information for everyone.
We want to:
impede corruption
prevent a waste of tax money
reduce mistrust
strengthen trust in politics and administration
simplify bureaucratic operating procedures
facilitate participation
To reach these aims, we want contracts, surveys, statistics and administrative provisions of the authorities to be made available for everyone on the internet.
We have a right to know how our tax money is spent.
Democracy needs transparency and trust.
