Barriers to Freedom of Information: Insights from an Experiment in Belgium

Vincent Mabillard, Giovanni Esposito, Lorenzo Cicatiello, Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta and Martial Pasquier

International Journal of Public Administration, 2025, vol. 48, issue 8, 519-531

Abstract: Freedom of information has gained attention all over the globe. While this principle has been embraced in most countries, previous studies showed that obstacles impede its full realization. This article adds to this strand of research by analyzing barriers that emerge in FOI implementation by Belgian municipalities. The results highlight a lack of compliance in many cases, and a predominance of strained transparency (conscious or unconscious limiting access to information, because of a lack of resources or unfamiliarity with the requested information). These findings led us to refine the existing frameworks with important implications for policy and research developments.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/01900692.2024.2378329

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