Evaluation of the Hamburg Transparency Act (HmbTG)
The Hamburg Transparency Act (Hamburgische Transparenzgesetz - HmbTG) came into force on 6 October 2012, replacing the previous Hamburg Freedom of Information Act (Hamburgische Informationsfreiheitsgesetz - HmbIFG) and further developing it in certain areas. The Hamburg Transparency Act (HmbTG) established the first comprehensive information act in Germany. It requires public bodies to proactively make certain information available to the public, not just on request, and to do so in a transparency portal as an information register. Personal data is protected throughout. Sec. 18(2), sentence 3 of the Hamburg Transparency Act (HmbTG) requires the Senate to review the application and effects of the Act no later than four years after its entry into force and to report on the results to the general public.
(Some publications are in German.)
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Selected publications on the subject
Abschlussbericht zur Evaluation des Hamburgischen Transparenzgesetzes
Das Hamburgische Transparenzgesetz (HmbTG) trat am 6. Oktober 2012 in Kraft und löste damit das vorhergehende Hamburgische Informationsfreiheitsgesetz (HmbIFG) ab und entwickelte dieses an entsprechenden Stellen weiter.
Das Hamburgische Transparenzgesetz in der Praxis
Das Hamburgische Transparenzgesetz verpflichtete erstmals Behörden, Verwaltungsdaten proaktiv zu veröffentlichen. Anhand juristischer und empirischer Analysen wurden durch die Evaluation die Auswirkungen und die Umsetzung der im Gesetz verankerten Veröffentlichungs- und Auskunftspflicht untersucht.
Making transparency work: Experiences from the evaluation of the Hamburg Transparency Law
Freedom of information acts (FOIA) aim to improve the public’s opportunities to access official information from public authorities and hence to increase the level of transparency. Thus, it is important to know whether and to what degree the effects intended by establishing FOIAs are achieved and how their implementation could be improved.