Draft law on public information completed

Tallinn, July 5, 1999. A draft law on public information has been completed and handed over to Estonian Interior Minister Juri Mois, to be submitted to government departments for comments.

The draft was written by a 12-member working group of civil servants, members of parliament, academics and media representatives. After the ministerial consultation round, the law will have to be approved by the government and is then taken before parliament, which the Estonian Newspaper Association hopes will be before the end of the year.

The text of the draft law is also available for public comment on the home page of the Estonian Newspaper Association, under www.netexpress.ee/eall/eelnou.html The Newapsper Assocaiton, which was included in the working group, welcomes the completion of the draft law, which took place more than two years after parliament instructed the government to write one.

Although the Estonian Constitution declares that public information must be freely available, there is no corresponding law, which has often made it difficult to obtain information. The new law should create a clear set of rules under which is information is made public to anyone.

Estonian Newspaper Association

More information: Tarmu Tammerk, Managing Director of the Estonian
Newspaper Association, tel 372 646 1005