
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">Experience shared among fellow journalists from the two countries showed that Bulgarian journalists have greater access to detailed information from various public registers. Hence, during the period from 2006 to 2009 there were about 26,000 requests for access, but there is a decreasing trend in the recent years. Thus, in 2011 there were 8,800 requests due to the fact that more and more information and databases are publicly available.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">"Although I have published sensitive information about domestic and foreign policy of Bulgaria, I didn’t face any pressure or repercussions to stop investigating or publishing the obtained information," said Dimitrova.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;">Study visit to Bulgaria (March 11-13) is realized within the project "Access to information – source for better information quality" funded by the European Union through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"> Center for Civil Communications is committed to raising awareness among journalists for greater application of the tools of investigative journalism, including the mechanisms of free access to public information. Recently, CCC issued policy brief for greater application of this right by the journalists. It calls for a legal amendment to shorten the deadline for institutions to respond to requests for access to information from current 30 calendar days to 15 working days.</span></p>