Access to Information in the Nordic Countries: A comparison of the laws of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland and international rules

摘要

This brief document presents an overview of laws, rules, and policies that govern access to information in the Nordic countries. The very idea of "access" has different meanings: 1. "openness" refers to public bodies and politicians "willing to enter into dialogue with the outside world," for example by making "themselves available for interviews, attend public meetings, and take part in discussions" (p. 9). 2. "transparency" refers to specific legal requirement for access as well as to a requirement that information be easy to understand. 3. "access" in the Nordic countries "refers to the right to have access to authentic information about the activities of public bodies, their researches, and bases for decisions, etc., without the information being mediated or controlled by some authority or by politicians" (p. 9).