THE STATE GAZETTE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE – FREE OF CHARGE

PRESS RELEASE

The state Gazette is now available on-line

free of charge

A job well done… (almost)!

Starting July 1, 2008 the full content of the State Gazette will be available on-line.

From now on, the full content of the newspaper, official and unofficial rubrics will be published on the new website the same day as the print publication and in one to one correspondence with it. The access to the Gazette is entirely free of charge.

Until now, Bulgaria was the only country in Europe (not counting the former Soviet republics) where not only was an electronic access to the State Gazette denied to the Bulgarian citizens, but also taxpayers were charged twice: once to pay the salaries of their deputies and public servants and a second time to be informed about their rights and obligations within the legislative framework passed by the same publicly elected officials.

The Rational for Free Access to the State Gazette:

• First and foremost because of the above mentioned absurd paradox which is unacceptable in a representative democratic system;
• Furthermore, removing the information costs to those who want to be familiar with the latest legislative changes and modification in the Bulgarian law system would also strengthen people's knowledge of their respective rights and obligations; until now, the electronic edition of the State Gazette was slightly more expensive than its in print counterpart;
• Most importantly, the free electronic access will save taxpayers time and money by not having to purchase a full subscription or accumulate tons of paper stacks at home; On-line version of the State Gazette is also a convenient option for the government as it could lower its publishing costs and encourage environmentally friendly way for disseminating information to citizens;

• The time lag between the adoption of a law and its implementation will be significantly shortened; also, queuing up in order to place a publication in the unofficial rubric will be rendered unnecessary;
• The free electronic access will ensure better quality and higher efficiency for finding the latest modifications or new laws that are passed thanks to the attributes of the standard Internet technologies;
• The need to transport, distribute and sell tons of paper versions of the State Gazette and all the associated costs will be minimized.

How is it done abroad?

All EU member-states (old and new) provide on-line access to state legislature.

With the exception of only one country (Lithuania) the electronic access is free of charge; all that is needed is a proper functioning Internet connection. Some of the EU countries have gone even further in introducing forward thinking practices. For example, Austria has gone 100% paperless, in Belgium the paper circulation is severely restricted (only 5 copies make it in print) while in Estonia print editions of the State Gazette are available upon request. In many other member countries similar changes are on their way or under discussion.

In terms of the authenticity and the validity of the legislative texts available on the Internet, the experience so far is mixed. Yet, there is a clear tendency for the growing importance of the on-line version as a trusted source of official information. It is remarkable that the current practice in Slovenia in case of discrepancies between the print and the on-line versions of the State Gazette, the latter takes precedence.

The following countries consider both versions (print and electronic) equally legitimate and credible sources of legal information: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, France, Italy (in process), Cyprus, the Netherlands (in process), Austria, Sweden (there is a proposal for equating the two versions), and Great Britain.

How was the reform passed in Bulgaria?

We can congratulate ourselves for some progress in the right direction, yet the changes are incomplete because:

• 1. The print edition of the State Gazette is still in existence and there is no significant drop in its circulation; therefore, no taxpayers' money has been saved.
• 2. The fact that the State Gazette is available only in a pdf. format while recent legislature and other normative acts are missing electronically shows that those interested in the content of the laws have to either a) buy the print edition, b) subscribe to an abbreviated electronic version which only summarizes the latest legislative modifications, or c) defragment and update current pdf. copies by purchasing a special on-line program.
• 3. The search engine is intentionally not user-friendly. In fact, it is so complex that it is comparable to operating an old Soviet system of information sharing where your search is successful only if you already know what you are looking for; Посоченото е в интерес само на малка група фирми и техните производни, които се бяха сдобили с достъп до файловете на законодателството през 1991-1992 г., както и на персонала на самия вестник;
• 4. Further reforms are needed.

How did it all happen?

The preparation of the draft law proposal for a free, on-line version of the State Gazette and the popularization of the idea was initiated by a small group of people and their respective home non-governmental organizations. They include:

• ° Dr. Krasen Stanchev, who first introduced the idea in Bulgaria and Veliko Dimitrov at IME who worked for its implementation;
• ° Alexander Kashumov and Kiril Terziiski, lawyers at Program Access to Information;
• ° Ivailo Ganchev, a lawyer and a member of the Bulgarian association for Civil Society and Legal Initiatives;
• ° last but not least Vassil Chobanov (journalist).

IME advocacy efforts in favor of a free, electronic edition of the State Gazzette were realized with the help of the British Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria and two instrumental MPs Ilko Dimitrov (НДСВ) and Martin Dimitrov (ОДС) who submitted the law-proposal for a discussion in the National Assembly.

Institute for Market Economics

Tel: 02 / 952 62 66, 952 35 03

E-mail address: [email protected]; [email protected]

About the Institute for Market Economics (IME)

The Institute for Market Economics (IME) is the first independent economic research think-tank in Bulgaria.

Its mission is to elaborate and advocate market–based solutions to challenges the citizens of Bulgaria and the region face in reforms. This mission has been pursued since 1993 when the Institute was formally registered as a non-profit legal organization ((№ 831344929, March 15th, 1993, 729/XI/VI, p.169).

The IME's objectives are to provide independent assessment and analysis of the Bulgarian government's economic policies and to be a focal point for the exchange of views among economists, policy-makers, and citizens.

In 2007 IME received recognition at an international level with two awards given by the International Stockholm Network for Non-governmental organization of 2007 and for Media of 2007.

In 2006 IME won the award "Templeton" administered by the Atlas Foundation for its valuable efforts over the years at disseminating and defending the principles  of free market economy.

In 2002 IME received the special award for 2001 given by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers for its "overall contribution for the development of vibrant civil society in Bulgaria."