At the Fifth Meeting of the Consultation of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (Tromsø Convention), it was assessed that the Albanian Law on the Right to Information is in line with the principles and standards set out in the Convention. The Consultation welcomed the broad implementation of the law in Albanian public authorities, guaranteeing access for all citizens, without discrimination, and respecting the principles of transparency and open government.

At the same time, it was recommended that Albania further improve the legal provisions to ensure the compatibility of the exception on professional secrecy with Article 3 of the Convention, as well as the clear definition of the applicant’s right to choose the form of obtaining official documents.

These recommendations are expected to contribute to the further strengthening of transparency and public access to information in our country.

An important decision of the meeting was related to the election of new members of the Council of Europe’s Access to Information Group, for a four-year mandate, starting on 1 April 2026. Among them, Ms. Elona Hoxhaj, Director General for the Right to Information in the Information and Data Protection Commissioner’s Office, was re-elected. This development highlights Albania’s active role in international mechanisms for monitoring and implementing the Convention.